In traditional Chinese dress, a changshan is the male equivalent of the women's cheongsam (qipao). It is also known as a changpao (chángpáo 长袍) or dagua (大褂 dàguà).

The Mandarin word changshan is cognate with the Cantonese

Standard Cantonese

Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....

 term chèuhngsàam, which has been borrowed into English as "cheongsam". Unlike the Mandarin term, however, Cantonese chèuhngsàam can refer to both male and female garments, and in Hong Kong is frequently used for the body-hugging female garment rather than for the male changshan. The Hong Kong usage is reflected in the meaning of "cheongsam" in English, which refers exclusively to the female garment.

A similar Burmese garment, called taikpon eingyi which is also a jacket featuring mandarin collar

Mandarin collar

A mandarin collar is a short unfolded stand-up collar style on a shirt or jacket. Mandarin collars start at the neckline and typically rise vertically two to five centimeters. The style originated from Western interpretation of dresses worn by Mandarins in Imperial China.The length along a...

s, is part of formal attire for men at weddings and other formal functions. However, taikpon eingyi is much more form-fitting than the changshan, with sleeves that cut off at the wrist and typically made of silk cloth.

History

Changshan, along with qipao, were introduced to China during the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

 (17th century–20th century). The Manchu

Manchu

The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...

s in 1636 ordered that all Han Chinese

Han Chinese

Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...

 should adopt the changshan style of dress—or face harsh punishment. However, after the 1644 fall of the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

, the Manchu stopped this order, and only required the court and government officials to wear Manchu clothes. Commoners were actually still allowed to wear the hanfu. However, over time, given the fact that the commoners still had to adopt Manchurian hairstyles or face execution, the commoners adopted the changshan and qipao as their own dress. Thus, the traditional Chinese Hanfu

Han Chinese clothing

Hanfu or Han Chinese Clothing, also sometimes known as Hanzhuang , Huafu , and sometimes referred in English sources simply as Silk Robe or Chinese Silk Robe refers to the historical dress of the Han Chinese people, which was worn for millennia before the conquest by the Manchus and the...

 style of clothing was gradually replaced. Over time, the Manchu style gained popularity.

Changshan was formal dress for Chinese men before Western-style suits became common in China.

The male changshan went well with the western overcoat, fedora, and scarf, and portrayed a unique East Asia

East Asia

East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...

n modernity.

The 1949 Communist Revolution

Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...

 ended the wearing of changshan and other similar clothing in Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, but Shanghainese emigrants and refugees brought the fashion to Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 where it has remained popular. Recently there has been a revival of the Shanghainese changshan in Shanghai and elsewhere in mainland China

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

.

Use of changshan

Changshan are traditionally worn in pictures, weddings, and other more formal historically Chinese events. A black changshan, along with a rounded black hat, was, and sometimes still is, the burial attire for Chinese men. Changshan are not often worn 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. Mao suit

Mao suit

The modern Chinese tunic suit is a style of male attire known in China as the Zhongshan suit , and known in the West as the Mao suit...

).