The fourth Hangzhou Global Qipao Festival opens on Oct 15. [Photo provided to ehangzhou.gov.cn]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, unveiled the fourth Global Qipao Festival on Oct 15 to showcase the traditional garment's unrivaled feminine charm, local media reported.

The annual festival, organized by the Hangzhou Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau and Shangcheng district government, will stage a series of events from Oct 15 to Nov 11 designed to promote the distinctive aesthetics of the garment.

The qipao dress, also called cheongsam, grew out of the traditional clothing of the Manchu ethnic group in Northeast China. Shortly after the fall of the Qing Empire (1644-1911), the body-hugging dress began to gain popularity among Chinese socialites and wealthy women in East China.

Women in qipaos display the distinctive charms of the body-hugging dress. [Photo provided to ehangzhou.gov.cn]