Wang has been collecting vintage qipao dresses for more than 30 years, he said of his fascination with the outfit. "As a young man I was obsessed with the feminine beauty in qipao, and began to collect these dresses."

It was a difficult decision to donate his whole collection to the Shanghai History Museum, he said, but "seeing the dresses in the exhibition hall, I feel very much fulfilled. I have found the best home for my lifelong collection.

"Here at the museum, they can play a part in teaching the history and culture of Shanghai, and their beauty is exhibited for everyone to enjoy."

Wang declined to speak much about himself, though he has been an avid philanthropist sponsoring education, art and culture on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Qipao was believed to have been adapted from the traditional robe worn by Manchu women during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) - in fact, a Manchurian robe is the first thing to greet visitors to the exhibition hall.

"Women used to wear pants under the robe," said Zhang Xia, a researcher with the Shanghai History Museum. "As pants were replaced with stockings, qipao gradually became the most recognized fashion style of women, starting in Shanghai, and then spreading all over the country."

At the beginning qipao was just a simplified version of a Manchurian robe, according to Professor Bao Mingxin of Donghua University. It was in Shanghai that qipao gained a new lease of life with the influence of western fashion, Bao said.