Hybridity and Marginal Drift of Cultural Identity in Hong Kong Cinematic Qipao: A Study of Colonial Context and Film Narrative

Abstract

As a distinctive cultural symbol shaped by colonial history and film storytelling, qipaos appearing in Hong Kong films carry two core cultural traits: hybrid cultural attributes and floating marginal identity. Taking the costume exhibition A Record of Changing Clothes: Hong Kong Film Cheongsam Costume Exhibition as the core research sample, this paper adopts Homi K. Bhabha’s hybridity theory and Oscar Ho Hing-kay’s marginal drift concept as dual analytical frameworks. It analyzes how qipao silhouettes blended Chinese and Western tailoring logic under colonial governance, alongside how film narratives reshaped and shifted Hong Kong people’s cultural belonging through this costume carrier. The research draws a clear conclusion: the qipaos popular in Hong Kong cannot be simply categorized as pure inheritance of traditional Chinese costume or blind imitation of Western fashion. Instead, they are brand-new hybrid cultural forms born from constant silhouette revisions, cross-border sewing technology integration and symbolic design innovation within the cultural gaps brought by colonial rule. Film creation endows qipaos with powerful narrative and metaphor value, making them a vital medium for Hong Kong communities to negotiate cultural belonging and spread localized oriental aesthetics to global audiences.