The event, held by the Hanoi Women’s Union (HWU), was part of efforts to seek the national intangible cultural heritage status and even a global title for the traditional dress.

More than 500 women and girls in Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) join the parade in Hanoi.

HWU President Le Kim Anh said the festival was one of the Ao Dai-related activities taking place nationwide, under the instruction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam Women’s Union Central Committee.

Ao Dai has established itself as a cultural symbol connected with the image of Vietnamese women. The dress has seen significant changes throughout the years but its traditional characteristics have still been preserved, contributing to enhancing the charming beauty of Vietnamese women.

Over the past hundreds of years, Ao Dai has been an endless source of inspiration for movies, music and fine arts, and part of the soul of Vietnamese people at home and abroad.

The word “Ao Dai” has been included in the Oxford dictionary that explains Ao Dai is a Vietnamese woman’s long-sleeved tunic with ankle-length panels at front and back, worn over trousers.

In the mind of Vietnamese people and the eyes of international friends, Ao Dai is a symbol of Vietnamese culture and quintessence.

The dress is worn on various occasions, from family gatherings to diplomatic events, art performances, festivals, especially the traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, fashion shows and beauty contests, both at home and abroad.

Unlike traditional dresses of many other countries worldwide, it is not complicated to put on the Ao Dai. While it is simple to wear, the dress highlights the beauty of women. Ao Dai, therefore, has become a popular attire of Vietnamese women.

“Long story” from Ao Dai

In late June, a special show of more than 1,000 Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dresses) patterns, entitled “Ao Dai – Vietnam’s cultural heritage”, was held at the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi. A few days before, the first national conference on this special costume took place in Hanoi. These positive moves show Vietnam’s determination to have Ao Dai recognized as a world heritage item honoured by UNESCO.

History of "ao dai" revealed in HCMC exhibit

An exhibition on periodic changes in the traditional dress of Vietnamese women over 100 years will run in Ho Chi Minh City till July 2.

Vietnam’s world cultural heritages honoured through Ao Dai

Twenty-one collections of Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress), which featured world cultural heritages of Vietnam, were introduced to the public at a programme held at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) on June 28.

Source: NDO/VNA