The object that tells a story about where my family came from is cheongsam, or better known in Mandarin Chinese as qipao. The qipao in the picture was custom-made for my Level-5 Guzheng Performance Test. The dress was made in 2009, just a few months before I left China. Although the qipao does not fit me anymore but it still has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of home. I feel closer to the culture that brought me up every time I look at the qipao; it serves as an important connection between who I am today and the girl who left China more than five years ago. My family moved more than ten times after we landed in the United States. Many things were lost along the way, and others were broken or abandoned; somehow the qipao stayed with me, years after years, even after I have outgrown it.

– Chao Ying Xue

Relationship:  unknown unknown