By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 18: The Cheongsam Cultural Festival is set to return for its third edition this Sunday (Oct 20), continuing its mission to promote the beauty and heritage of traditional Chinese women’s costumes—the cheongsam.
Scheduled to take place at Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Community Hall and Kuching Park (MBKS Park), the event is organised by the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Women Associations in collaboration with MBKS and supported by the Sarawak’s Ministry of Tourism Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP).
At a press conference held in the MBKS building today, MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the festival will start at 8am at Kuching Park and aims to encourage more women to showcase themselves on stage, to promote the cheongsam culture and to spread the timeless beauty of the East.
“This year’s festival will feature a significant highlight—the incorporation of our unique local batik culture.
“This means participants will have the opportunity to blend local ethnic batik materials into their cheongsam, showcasing Sarawak’s harmony and cultural fusion in a way that is distinctly our own.
“This is more than just a cultural event—it is a celebration of the creative spirit of our people, uniting different traditions to create something uniquely Sarawakian,” he said.
He added that the festival offers a variety of exciting activities, such as a garden parade and cultural exchange, Chinese round fan scenery painting, an instant photo booth, performances by Zhi Wei and My Destiny, a children’s colouring contest, and the highly anticipated Cheongsam contest.
In the Cheongsam contest, 12 female finalists, dressed in either traditional or modern cheongsam, will compete in the Individual category, while five groups, showcasing a blend of different ethnic costumes, will vie for the top spot in the Group category.
For both categories, there are attractive prizes to be won, including RM1,800 for the champion, RM1,500 for the first runner-up, and RM1,200 for the second runner-up, along with a sash and a flower bouquet. Consolation prizes will also be awarded in both categories.
Regarding the garden parade and cultural exchange, which will begin as early as 7am, Wee mentioned that around 500 to 600 people have already registered to participate, but he welcomes even more to join and flaunt their beauty on the day of the event. — DayakDaily
