On July 11, 2026, the Shuozhou City Cultural Center Square hosted a qipao showcase as part of the “Art Gathers the New Era, Warmth Reaches Millions of Families” public cultural benefit series. The event combined local Shanxi heritage with Jiangnan elegance and offered free admission to the public, drawing a large evening crowd.
The showcase featured more than a dozen performances. Red-themed processions such as “Ten Sends to the Red Army,” “Azalea,” and “I Love You China” used qipao to express national sentiment. “Shanxi’s Beautiful Scenery” appeared twice, with embroidered qipao evoking the landscape of Shanxi. Other pieces included the poetic scene “Autumn Longing for Return,” the gentle “Lotus Pavilion” and “Water Rhymes of Jiangnan” with oil-paper umbrellas, and the tender “E Man” and “Plum Blossom Tears.”
Each piece showcased a different qipao silhouette and staging concept, from solemn military-red gowns to light Jiangnan-style dresses. The pacing alternated between group formations and solo walks, giving the audience both spectacle and intimate detail.
Yingxian Wooden Pagoda Becomes a Runway Motif
The standout local element came from the Yingxian Pagoda Township Qipao Team, which presented “This Wooden Pagoda.” The piece connected the thousand-year-old Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, the world’s oldest surviving all-wood multi-story pavilion, with qipao aesthetics. The performance turned a national monument into a wearable narrative, with choreography and costume details referencing the pagoda’s layered eaves and timber structure.
The finale, “Happy Times Fashion Show,” mixed classical qipao with modern fashion, while a senior art troupe performed “I Sing a Praise Song to My Motherland.” The closing sequence showed how qipao can bridge generations, from elderly performers to younger participants in contemporary cuts.
31 Free Public Shows Through August 6
The qipao showcase is one of 31 performances organized by the Shuozhou Culture and Tourism Bureau and hosted by the city cultural center. The series runs from July 10 to August 6, 2026, with nightly shows at 8 p.m. Programs include square dancing, choral singing, traditional opera, qipao processions, and instrumental music. The initiative follows a “performed by the people, watched by the people, enjoyed by the people” model.
By using qipao as a public stage format, Shuozhou is bringing traditional dress out of museums and into neighborhood spaces, linking local monuments like the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda with everyday cultural participation. The event also demonstrates how counties with strong heritage assets can build low-cost, high-frequency programming around traditional clothing.