Models dressed in qipao display the elegance and glamour of the Chinese traditional dress at Changqiao Park in West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 26. [Photo/VCG]

Hangzhou, a city along the ancient Silk Road, unveiled its rich cultural heritage to the world at the 2018 Hangzhou Global Qipao (Cheongsam) Festival, on Sept 26.

Jointly held by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission and the China National Silk Museum, the festival featured a global qipao (cheongsam) show which took place at Changqiao Park in West Lake Scenic Area.

Hundreds of models of all ages from both home and abroad were invited to wear qipao, a traditional Chinese women's dress, to display a facet of traditional Chinese culture, combining silk, qipao culture and Hangzhou's scenic landscape.

Twenty-five sets of themed qipao were designed by students from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University and paraded by models at the West Lake Scenic Area.

By combining the tourism and cultural resources of the city, the festival presents to the world the unique tourism culture of the eastern Chinese city and enhances its popularity on the global stage, said Zhang Hongbin, director of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission.

In addition, a special cheongsam show featuring 3D light and intangible cultural heritage elements was also staged at the China National Silk Museum on the same day.

In February, in collaboration with the China National Silk Museum, the Hangzhou Tourism Commission extended invitations to designers from all over the world to design a Hangzhou-style qipao which is based on local landscape and Chinese arts, and received 15 designs from 12 countries and regions.

Models dressed in qipao pose for photos at Changqiao Park in West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 26. [Photo/VCG]

A foreign student from Zhejiang University models qipao at Changqiao Park in West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 26. [Photo/VCG]