Students spice up graduation photos
As graduation nears university students are taking photos to remember their time. A group of advertising majors from Guangzhou University decided to add flavour to their graduation pictures by dressing up in traditional Chinese costume.
Girls were dressed in flowery qipao carrying matching silk fans while boys wore traditional gold and black Chinese suits.
Huang Dejian, one of the graduates who wore a traditional Chinese suit, said some classmates felt that the graduation gowns were boring and suggested fellow students put on traditional Chinese suits. The idea was well received, so the whole class followed suit.
Once agreement was reached, the students visited several places to search for traditional Chinese suits. The girls looked up well-known mainland online shopping website taobao.com to find graceful qipao and matching silk fans.
The boys spent hours scouring Shang Xia Jiu Road, a popular street in Liwan District, Guangzhou, for traditional suits.
The students' photos caught the attention of many people on the internet, but not all of the feedback was flattering. Some criticised the photos for not being appropriate, claiming that the girls showed too much of their thighs. Others claimed that the students failed to adequately express the beauty of traditional Chinese culture.
Huang Junda, a student representative, said the class had worn traditional suits to enhance their graduation photos and to show their passion for traditional Chinese culture. 'By no means did we want the photos to be [considered] indecent,' he said. 'I do not think it is an issue for the girls to show their thighs . . . while wearing qipao.'
