Associations between the cheongsam dress and Chinese cultural identity are well known but what are the meanings of the cheongsam for members of the Chinese diaspora? In a study grounded in first-hand accounts of wearing, Cheryl Sim explores the practices and experiences of women in Canada, a major Chinese diaspora, and carries out the first in-depth study of the cheongsam from this critical point of view. Questions explored over the course of 20 interviews, as well as during personal reflections on the author's own experiences of wearing, include: is there a desire to re-claim or appropriate the cheongsam? Does this desire risk perpetuating stereotypes of Asian women? Does it undermine one's identification with one's host country? Can erased heritage(s) be accessed through dress? And how does wearing the cheongsam interact with the male gaze? Revealing feelings of repulsion and attraction, Sim combines personal stories with an authoritative use of theoretical frameworks such as feminism, post-colonialism and autoethnography. Covering issues such as heritage, ethnic identity, authenticity, nationalism, patriarchy and assimilation, Sim demonstrates that the meanings of the cheongsam are multifarious. Readable but with strong academic underpinnings, this book is the entry point into discussions of Chinese dress and diaspora.

Spanning almost a century, this book examines the origins and development of the cheongsam in the social context of Singapore since its introduction from Shanghai, China, in the 1920s to the present day. The cheongsam, a one-piece Chinese ladies' dress that was the epitome of Chinese identity and feminine beauty during the middle decades of the 20th century. Initially seen as a symbol of a trendy, new, Republican China, shorn of the shackles of the imperial system, the cheongsam soon adopted intellectual overtones, and was favoured by the sophisticated and society's elite at elaborate social functions. When it was abandoned following the success of the Communist Party in China, the cheongsam survived in Singapore as the garment of choice for independent, educated women.

The book is the volume of “History of Customs in the Qing Dynasty” among a series of books of “Deep into China Histories”. The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC) and the Bamboo Annals (296 BC) describe a Xia dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) before the Shang, but no writing is known from the period The Shang ruled in the Yellow River valley, which is commonly held to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. However, Neolithic civilizations originated at various cultural centers along both the Yellow River and Yangtze River. These Yellow River and Yangtze civilizations arose millennia before the Shang. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations, and is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization.The Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) supplanted the Shang and introduced the concept of the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule. The central Zhou government began to weaken due to external and internal pressures in the 8th century BC, and the country eventually splintered into smaller states during the Spring and Autumn period. These states became independent and warred with one another in the following Warring States period. Much of traditional Chinese culture, literature and philosophy first developed during those troubled times.In 221 BC Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring states and created for himself the title of Huangdi or "emperor" of the Qin, marking the beginning of imperial China. However, the oppressive government fell soon after his death, and was supplanted by the longer-lived Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Successive dynasties developed bureaucratic systems that enabled the emperor to control vast territories directly. In the 21 centuries from 206 BC until AD 1912, routine administrative tasks were handled by a special elite of scholar-officials. Young men, well-versed in calligraphy, history, literature, and philosophy, were carefully selected through difficult government examinations. China's last dynasty was the Qing (1644–1912), which was replaced by the Republic of China in 1912, and in the mainland by the People's Republic of China in 1949.Chinese history has alternated between periods of political unity and peace, and periods of war and failed statehood – the most recent being the Chinese Civil War (1927–1949). China was occasionally dominated by steppe peoples, most of whom were eventually assimilated into the Han Chinese culture and population. Between eras of multiple kingdoms and warlordism, Chinese dynasties have ruled parts or all of China; in some eras control stretched as far as Xinjiang and Tibet, as at present. Traditional culture, and influences from other parts of Asia and the Western world (carried by waves of immigration, cultural assimilation, expansion, and foreign contact), form the basis of the modern culture of China.

This book marks the 10th anniversary of the Routledge journal Transnational Cinemas, and its renaming to Transnational Screens. The introduction reflects on the changing ways in which film is produced, distributed and consumed with the emergence of streamed content providers. Each chapter expands on previous scholarship and interrogates key areas of transnational cinema. Taken together they revisit key concepts of transnational cinema; explore the relationship between transnational and world cinema; analyse performances of cosmopolitanism; examine exoticism and nostalgia in contemporary transnational cinema; present the ‘rooted transnationalism’ of Moroccan diasporic filmmakers; reflect on how films from around the world convey ‘foreignness’; consider cross border solidarity and collaboration behind transnational talent development; explore transnational film eco-criticism from the perspectives of governance and aesthetics; and reflect on the changing nature of transnational screen studies through the concept of second phase transnationalism. Written by leading scholars, this book looks at the key developments in the field of transnational film and screen studies. The chapters were originally published as a special issue of the journal, Transnational Screens.

From the creator of the bestselling Bad Girls Throughout History! Celebrated illustrator and author Ann Shen shares her striking study of history's most iconic styles, and the women who changed the world while wearing them. From the revolutionary bikini to the presidential pantsuit, this book explores 50 fashions through bold paintings and insightful anecdotes that empower readers to make their own fashion statements. • Demonstrates the power of fashion as a political and cultural tool for making change • Brilliantly illustrated with Ann's signature art style • Filled with radical clothing choices that defined their time Looks include the Flapper Dress, the unofficial outfit of women's independence in the 1920s; the Afro, worn as a symbol of black beauty, power, and pride; the Cone Bra, donned by Madonna in her 1989 power anthem "Express Yourself"; and the Dissent Collar, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's famous signifier for when she disagrees with the majority. With stunning and vibrant illustrations, this is a treasure for anyone who wants to defy style norms and rewrite the rules. • An insightful look at the intersection of fashion statements and historical female power • Perfect for fans of Ann Shen, as well as anyone who loves fashion, feminism, and political consciousness • You'll love this book if you love books like Women In Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed The World by Rachel Ignotofsky; Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration Of Girls Being Themselves by Kate T. Parker; and Women Who Dared: 52 Stories Of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, And Rebels by Linda Skeers.

Luxury Marketing, Sustainability and Technology explores how new technologies, sustainability, and relationship marketing impact and change the future of luxury brand management. Whilst the luxury industry is experiencing exponential growth, further research is vital to improve knowledge and understand how luxury management operates in the new age of marketing. Through a range of empirical and theoretical contributions, this book offers clear insights into relationship marketing and luxury management. It examines the growth of luxury, marketing strategies for luxury brands, advertising and communication of luxury brands, AI and disruptive technology in luxury marketing, and sustainability and pro-environmental luxury. All the chapters close with practical summaries and recommendations for businesses practice. This book is a useful reference for scholars and postgraduate researchers across luxury management and marketing, including those interested in international marketing, social media marketing, and fashion management, as well as innovation management and sustainability.

From the Sack to the Sari, each dress makes a powerful statement about the woman who wears it. Inspired by the Eleanor Estes' children's classic The Hundred Dresses, Erin McKean's classic-to-be by the same title, with chic illustrations by Donna Mehalko, is a definitive and witty look at what one hundred iconic dress styles, vintage and modern say about their wearers. Each beautifully illustrated entry looks at the history of that particular style, famous wearers (if applicable), possible accessories, where the style could be observed, and what message, subtle or overt, is conveyed by the dress. Featured are The Wench; The Vreeland; The Wrap; The Austen; The Beckham; The Siren (any style, as long as it's red); The Chanel Ingénue; The Caftan; The Guinevere; The Jackie; ; The Biohazard (any dress dangerous to bystanders or the wearer: think Lady Gaga); and many more. Part style commentary, part fashion blueprint, part clever field guide, The Hundred Dresses will ensure that no woman (or man) ever underestimates the power of the dress.

It is the third issue of the international scientific journal "European Scientific e-Journal" (Czech Republic). There are 9 scientific works of the scientists and researchers from China, Czech, Poland, Bulgaria, and Russia in the field of cultural heritage.

This book explores the history of leisure in Chinese culture by tracing the development of Chinese philosophy and leisure values in Chinese tradition and civilization. It addresses the tremendous changes in Chinese society brought about by the country’s rapid economic development and the impact on Chinese culture and leisure. It considers the social, political and economic challenges facing China, from corruption to sharpening inequalities, from ecological crisis to the need for a revival of Chinese culture and for political democratization. It suggests that leisure can exert an invisible and formative influence on people’s lifestyle and value system and considers ongoing trends in the development of leisure activities as they relate to modern Chinese society and social reform.

Built on twenty years of fieldwork in rural Jiangyong of Hunan Province in south China, this book explores the world's only gender-defined and now disappearing "women's script" known as nüshu. What drove peasant women to create a script of their own and write, and how do those writings throw new light on how gender is addressed in epistemology and historiography and how the unprivileged social class uses marginalized forms of expression to negotiate with the dominant social structure. Further, how have the politics of salvaging this disappearing centuries-old cultural heritage molded a new poetics in contemporary society? This book explores nüshu in conjunction with the local women's singing tradition (nüge), tied into the life narratives of four women born in the 1910s, 1930s, and 1960s respectively, each representative in her own way: a nüge singer (majority of Jiangyong women), a child bride (enjoying not much nüshu/nüge), the last living traditionally-trained nüshu writer, and a new-generation nüshu transmitter. Altogether, their stories unfold peasant women's lifeworlds and forefronts various aspects of China's changing social milieu over the past century. They show how nüshu/nüge-registering women's sense and sensibilities and providing agency to subjects who have been silenced by history-constitute a reflexive social field whereby women share life stories to expand the horizon of their personal worldviews and probe beneath the surface of their existence for new inspiration in their process of becoming. With the concept of "expressive depths," this book opens a new vista on how women express themselves through multiple forms that simultaneously echo and critique the mainstream social system and urges a rethinking of how forms of expression define and confine the voice carried. Examining the multiple efforts undertaken by scholars, local officials, and cultural entrepreneurs to revive nüshu which have ironically threatened to disfigure its true face, this book poses a question of whither nüshu? Should it be transformed, or has it reached a perfect end point from which to fade into history?