Fascinating Chinese Dresses — Beauty Born in a Modern City a Century Ago: Exhibition at the Japan-China Friendship Center Art Museum (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) May 29 (Fri) - June 28 (Sun), 2026

In the early summer of 2026, the Japan-China Friendship Center Art Museum will hold an exhibition titled 'Fascinating Chinese Dresses — Beauty Born in a Modern City a Century Ago', focusing on the qipao beloved by Chinese women about 100 years ago. This exhibition features a careful selection of representative dresses from the 1900s to 1940s, drawn from the 'Xie Li Collection', which is renowned as a premier collection of Chinese dresses. Along with the dresses, shoes for bound feet, furnishings, and hand-embroidered accessories will also be introduced. Admission is free.

'Shanghai's Bund 100 years ago, lined with Western architecture'

At the time, Japanese society was enveloped in the atmosphere of an era called 'Taisho Roman', and with the progression of Westernization, a new fashion culture blossomed where traditional Japanese clothing and Western clothing coexisted. Around the same time, modernization was advancing in China as well. In various fields such as politics, economy, and culture, the East and West violently intersected, eventually ushering in an era moving toward fusion. Under such historical background, the Chinese dress, born in the modern city of Shanghai at that time, can be said to be one of the revolutionary entities in the history of women's fashion.

'A modern girl wearing a Chinese dress'

Under the concept of 'Wearing / Opening Time', this exhibition focuses on the process in which the Chinese dress—originating from the 'Qipao' of the Manchu people of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)—was influenced by Western fashion. It deviated from the traditional clothing forms that had been inherited in China for thousands of years, eventually transforming into a fashion item for modern women. Through Chinese dresses from various decades, the exhibition delves into the theme of 'opening' across multiple dimensions, such as the change in women's social status and the awakening of physical aesthetics that occurred as China transitioned from a feudal dynasty to a modern state in the early 20th century.

◎ Exhibition Highlights

1. The structural beauty of antique Chinese dresses brimming with elegance and glamour
This exhibition brings together Chinese dresses, the representative attire of women in modern China. Visitors can view up close the structural beauty that combines elegance and glamour, including delicate embroidery, refined colors, and silhouettes that beautifully accentuate the bodyline. The high level of skill and aesthetic sense embedded in each piece tell the story of the maturation of urban culture at that time.

2. Women's fashion that changed alongside modern urban culture in early modern China
Rapid urbanization and the influx of Western culture gave birth to new lifestyles in early modern China. The Chinese dress developed as a symbolic attire of this shift, changing its shape, materials, and decorations with each era. Through works from each decade, visitors can experience the evolution of women's fashion as modern culture spread.

3. New female figures and aesthetics brought about by liberation from feudal constraints
The transition from a feudal dynasty to a modern state brought significant changes to the ways of life and values of Chinese women. With the spread of education and the expansion of social participation, the views on women's bodies and their ideal figures changed dramatically, spreading a new aesthetic sense that respected the natural body. Using clothing and related materials as clues, this exhibition deciphers the shift in values regarding beauty and the new female image born within modern society.

■■ Event Outline ■■
Exhibition Name: 2026 Special Exhibition 'Fascinating Chinese Dresses — Beauty Born in a Modern City a Century Ago'
Dates: May 29 (Fri) – June 28 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Japan-China Friendship Center Art Museum (1-5-3 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (Open until 20:00 on Fridays)
Closed: Mondays
Admission: Free
Access: https://jcfcmuseum.jp/access
1-minute walk from Exit C3 of Iidabashi Station on the Toei Oedo Line
7-minute walk from the East Exit of Iidabashi Station on the JR Sobu Line / Exit A1 of Iidabashi Station on the Subway Tozai, Yurakucho, and Namboku Lines
Exhibition URL: https://jcfcmuseum.jp/events/event/2026-01
Exhibition Official Website

■■ Exhibition Structure ■■
This exhibition is structured in four chapters chronologically, tracing the history of the Chinese dress through works that represent the characteristics of each era.

Chapter 1: The Origins of the Chinese Dress — The Qipao of the Qing Dynasty Manchu People —
While known as the symbol of Chinese women, the appearance of the Chinese dress is vastly different from ancient Chinese clothing. Through actual artifacts, paintings, and photographs from before the 1910s, this chapter introduces the ancient Chinese clothing form 'Shangyi Xiachang' (upper garment and lower skirt) and the 'Qipao' of the Qing Dynasty Manchu people, which is its direct root. By focusing on the characteristics of attire tied to status order and ritual systems and their symbolic meanings, we explore the foundation upon which the Chinese dress was born in the modern era.

'Qipao of the Qing Dynasty Manchu People' 'Late 19th Century Fabric: Silk' 'Late 19th Century Fabric: Silk'