CHINESE TEA CEREMONY: Qun Kwa (裙褂) Guide

Mar 30, 20212 min read

Looking at the above photo, do you know there are actually various kinds of Qun Kwa for the wedding and they have different meanings in it?

The above 5 Qun kwa are the basic ones that we always see in weddings. We will talk about it in details.

These ones are what we call Stylish Kwa (潮褂) in Cantonese. It is a combination of Qun Kwa and Sau Wo style (秀禾服). I personally like these looks a lot as it doesn't look as mature and have more colours and style to choose from.

The patterns and embroideries are much more elaborate than on the dragon phoenix kwa: there are peonies and goldfish, which represent abundant wealth; lilies, symbolising longevity of the marriage; bats, because the Chinese word for “bat” (蝠) rhymes with “blessing” (福).

Okay, lets talk about the traditional Qun Kwa!

Aside from design, Qun Kwa is divided into five different categories according to the density of gold and silver threads that run through the dress:

“The king of kwa” (褂皇): 95- 100% of the gown is embroidered with gold and silver threads. There are Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenix embroidery which symbolize longevity.

In ancient times, only the royal family could afford to wear such expensive wedding gowns. Now it is a symbol of the luxury of many celebrities when they get married.

It takes around 12 months to make and worth around $40k AUD.

2. “The queen of kwa” (褂后): 90% gold and silver density. There will be some red, the colour of the dress visible.

In addition to the dragon and phoenix totem like the Emperor gown, there are also peonies and auspicious clouds. Although it looks magnificent from a distance, it is not as exaggerated.