As English loanwords, both "cheongsam" and "qipao" describe the same type of body-hugging dress worn by Chinese women, and the words could be used interchangeably.
The term cheongsam is a 展开

Background
The Manchu are an ethnic minority that founded the last of China's imperial dynasties, the Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911. When … 展开

Workplace
Some airlines in Mainland China and Taiwan, such as China Airlines and Hainan Airlines, have cheongsam uniforms for their women … 展开

The cheongsam became a national dress of the Republic of China, along with the aoqun, a traditional clothing attire of the Han Chinese women. … 展开

The design of the cheongsam has evolved with time; and there are now a various styles of cheongsam. However, after decades of development, the design of cheongsam itself can be roughly categorized into the Beijing style, the Shanghai 展开

Sport-related
In the 2008 Summer Olympics, the medal bearers wore cheongsam. Similar attire was worn by female members of the Swedish team and of the Spanish team in the opening ceremony, with the national colors. 展开

The Vietnamese áo dài looks similar to the cheongsam as they both consist of a long robe with side splits on both sides of the robe with one of the main difference typically being the height … 展开