The changshan was often worn by men with a magua, also commonly translated as "riding jacket" in English language.

Because of the long British presence in Hong Kong, that local usage has become reflected in the meaning of cheongsam in English, which refers exclusively to the female garment.

The Manchus in 1636 ordered that all Han Chinese should adopt the Manchu's hairstyle as well as their attire of dress or face harsh punishment including death penalty.

However, by the time of the Qianlong Emperor, however, the adoption of Manchu clothing dressing code was only required to the scholar-official elites and did not apply to the entire male population.

[3] The court dress of the Qing dynasty also had to follow the attire of the Manchu people;[3] however, commoner Han men and women were still allowed to wear the hanfu under some circumstances and/or if they fell under the exemptions of the Tifayifu policy.

The order of wearing Manchu's hairstyle however still remained as a fundamental rule for all Chinese men.

[3] Changshan was considered formal dress for Chinese men before Western-style suits were widely adopted in China.

Changshan are not often worn today[update] in mainland China, except during traditional Chinese celebrations but, with the revival of some traditional clothing in urban mainland China, the Shanghainese style functions as a stylish party dress (cf.