CMG cheongsam show to showcase fusion of traditional fashion, tech

China Media Group (CMG) is set to air a grand cheongsam show on its Yangshipin app at 19:30 on Sunday to provide a visual feast to audience featuring a unique presentation of the traditional Chinese dress' cultural charisma powered by modern technology.

During the event, more than 100 specially designed cheongsams will be showed on a stage in Shenyang, capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province, known as the birthplace of the apparel system and culture.

The stage design was inspired by the Dazheng Hall of the Shenyang Imperial Palace, while many cheongsam designers also showed the city's cultural elements through their works.

"I made the design by not only matching it with the figure of the model, but also including many Shenyang's cultural elements. The city flower of Shenyang is rose, and the color of the Imperial Palace's walls is very beautiful. So, we created a romantic fusion of these two colors," said Zhang Turan, a designer.

More than 20 famed designers enriched the charm of the apparel by integrating its cultural appeal with emerging technologies.

A cheongsam model featuring a visual effect of flexible displays and palace lantern elements, together with a light show of a flying phoenix, will be presented at the finale of the program, signifying that the culture will be carried forward in an endless succession into the future.

"Besides the cheongsam, we've used a palace lantern with a glasses-free 3D effect. We tried to combine art, visual design and dress," said Tao Lei, another designer.

The models who will perform on the runway also come from all walks of life and different age groups, including the 86-year-old Qian Xiaoping, the intangible heritage inheritor of Song-Dynasty (960–1279) brocade techniques.

"We should carry forward our excellent classic culture. It is very meaningful to hold this event, with various styles of cheongsam, as well as the new Chinese style, on display, to inspire more to come," said Qian.

Under the guidance of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, the program was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the Shenyang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Yangshipin app, CMG's Liaoning office, and the Shenyang Federation of Trade Union.

CMG cheongsam show to showcase fusion of traditional fashion, tech

Thailand has temporarily closed more than 1,000 schools in border areas following a new round of armed clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops along their shared border.

The Thai Ministry of Education ordered the suspension of classes on Friday in seven provinces bordering Cambodia, affecting a total of 1,060 schools, to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

Buriram Province is among the areas most affected by the renewed fighting, with more than 100 schools shut down. At local shelters, displaced residents, including children and teenagers, have sought refuge as fighting continues.

One girl said she had stayed in the shelter for 11-12 days already. "I moved here because of the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia," she said, adding that she could hear very loud gunfire at her home.

She said school won't be open until the clashes end, and she misses her classmates very much.

A teenage boy in the shelter expressed the same emotions.

"It's been 13 days since I moved here. I heard gunfires at home and I was so scared that I moved to the shelter. I want to return to school to study and see my friends," he said.

A displaced woman recalled her time in a shelter when border clashes between the two countries broke out earlier this year.

"I stayed in the shelter for a week when the last clashes broke out. This time I don't know how long I need to stay here before I can return home," she said.

Border clashes between the two sides reignited on Dec 7, less than two months after the two sides signed a joint peace declaration, with both sides trading the blame for instigating the attacks.

Thailand closes over 1,000 schools near border amid armed clashes with Cambodia