Hunan college girl designs cheongsam inspired by women's secret language

Five cheongsam designs have recently been granted patent certificate by the State Intellectual Property Office.

The 19-year-old Hunan Women's College student Zhou Jingjing, designer of the five looks said she drew inspiration from Nüshu.

Nüshu (or women's writing), a rare form of women's writing, is a century-old intangible cultural heritage from remote Jiangyong county in southern Hunan province.

Nüshu developed in the 19th century as a way for women in Jiangyong, who were often discouraged from learning Chinese characters, to express themselves in a male-dominated society.

Local women wrote on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs and composed stories.

These cheongsam came in five different colors of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple, each with beautiful Nüshu to form amazing patterns.