A qipao and theatrical costume exhibition, with the theme "Prime of Ruan Lingyu", opened on September 27 at the Zhongshan Warship Gallery (2F) within Zhongshan Studio City. This cultural showcase will run through November.
Ruan Lingyu, with ancestral roots in Zuobu village, Nanlang subdistrict, crafted 29 iconic film performances during her 9-year screen career. Her masterful nuance in acting brought to life diverse characters, from rustic maidens to laboring women, each embodying archetypal figures that shaped early Chinese cinema.
The exhibition invites visitors to experience Ruan Lingyu's legendary life through immersive settings: vintage decor in the foyer transports guests to her film heyday, a heritage-style theater loops iconic films The Goddess and New Women to showcase her acting prowess, and a wax figure in her signature floral qipao captures her timeless on-and-off-screen elegance while symbolizing her deep geographical ties to Zhongshan.
The qipao, emblematic of Ruan Lingyu's style, serves as a century-spanning bridge between dress culture and film art. This exhibition features over a dozen meticulously curated qipao designs, each directly inspired by garments worn by Ruan Lingyu in her iconic films.