Yuqian Qipao

Yuqian Qipao is said to date to the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty and has been handed down through the family, with Yu Renqian as the fifth-generation maker. It sits in the old-town Furong Street area, a standard-bearer of hand-made qipao in Jinan.

Yuqian is famed for fully bespoke tailoring — a single qipao requires more than forty body measurements, so no two are alike. It has dressed visitors from dozens of countries, earning a reputation well beyond China.

Each garment passes through dozens of handcraft steps — measuring, cutting, sewing, embroidery and knotted frog buttons — with fine stitching and meticulous piping that carry on traditional Chinese tailoring, recognized as Jinan municipal heritage.