Traditional Chinese wedding dress

The cheongsam (Chinese: 旗袍), or zansae also known as qipao, sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, traces its origins to the Qing dynasty.

[7] In the Qing dynasty, it was composed of an ao, a type of upper garment, called mangao (Chinese: 蟒袄; lit.

[8] The mangao was a type of yuanlingshan fashioned in the style of the Ming dynasty which was red in colour; it used to be worn by the Han Chinese women as a court robe.

[8] The mangchu was a qun which could either be red or green in colour; it was embroidered with dragons and phoenixes on the front and back lapel of the skirt.

[8] Following the wedding ceremony, married women were expected to wear the fengguan xiapei on formal occasions, however, Chinese trousers or leggings were worn beneath instead of the skirt.

There are 5 different types of qungua (Guahuang, Guahou, Dawufu, Zhongwufu, Xiaowufu) which are based on the amount of embroideries which were crafted on the dress.