NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Meet China, the Qipao flashmob event, jointly organized by ICN TV Network, China Intercontinental Communication Center and Youku Fashion, was held in Times Square on the morning of September 10, 2015. The cultures of both the East and the West met here, and presented an eye-beholding visual feast of the blending of two cultures.
The "Meet China" campaign kicked off with a well-applauded rendition of the famous Chinese folk song "Jasmine." More than 100 women from the United States and China walked leisurely to the stage, each wearing a unique style of the qipao (or cheongsam), the traditional one-piece dress worn by women in China at formal occasions. Among the styles represented were a qipao adorned with the Chinese ink painting style as well as one with the blue and white porcelain style, among many other unique styles. The show vividly demonstrated the unique qualities of Chinese culture and the exquisite beauty of Oriental women. The show also invited the famous Chinese painter Zhuang Yujun to spontaneously create an artistic work with his paintbrush. The uplifting Qipao show complemented by the Chinese ink painting served to bring out the best in each other and to present the colorful Chinese style to passers-by in Time Square, and, by extension, to the world.
The event, taking place at the crossroads of the world, attracted many onlookers from around the United States and the world who gathered around the square to watch. As the event continued to unfold with increasingly exhilarating performances by the women sporting the qipao dress, the audience became increasingly immersed in the experience. Members of the audience holding a traditional Chinese knot gradually converged in the center of the square and joined the choir in singing "Jasmine" together, bringing the whole event to a climax. Many onlookers said that the Qipao flashmob event gave them a chance to see Chinese culture in America close up. They told the organizers that were present that they thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity for intimate contact with the various art forms from China: the music, the dance, the painting, the embroidery and the making of handicrafts. The event allowed onlookers to get a deeper understanding of the profound aspect of Chinese spiritual culture. Californian resident Melissa Lee Diehl, on a visit to New York, said it was the first time that she had participated in a Chinese cultural performance and she felt quite thrilled.
The UN will celebrate its 70th anniversary this month and Chinese leaders will visit the US this autumn. In the context of the increasingly close relationship between China and the United States, the organizers chose to hold the event in Times Square. The choice of the "Crossroads of the World" as the venue gave the event particular significance in promoting awareness and understanding between East and West through the event's fusion of Western art forms and traditional Chinese culture.
The Qipao flashmob event was filmed and will be rebroadcast on China's nationwide TV network CCTV, all media platforms of North America's largest Chinese-oriented television network ICN TV, and leading Chinese video platform Youku. Today's event is a precursor to the final of the Qipao Beauty Pageant, which will be held in the Broad Street Ballroom in Lower Manhattan on September 19th, and the Qipao Gala, will be held at Gotham Hall in New York's midtown on September 26th.
