With an impressive collection of more than 600 pieces of Qipao (or cheongsam), a stylish traditional Chinese dress for ladies, Jin Mei from Kunming, Yunnan Province enjoys a widespread reputation in the collection circle.

When Jin Mei was a child, she once saw photos of her grandmother and mother wearing Qipao and became immediately fascinated by the elegance of the dress. Later, she studied in Yunnan University as a postgraduate major in museum studies, which had laid foundation for her future collection.

In twenty years, Jin Mei has spent more than one million yuan in collecting Qipao, the oldest of which has a history of 100 years. She is increasingly well-known in the circle and visited by thousands of artists and collectors from all over the world. She even held a Qipao show in Kunming. As her collection continues to grow, Jin Mei began to consider how to pass on the Qipao art.

In 2016, Jin Mei quit her job and set up a study institute in Songming County of Kunming. She also opened a workshop at the foot of the city’s West Mountain, in which eight dressmakers engage in making Qipao in traditional ways and restore its classic charm.