Free entrance tickets for female tourists wearing traditional Ao dai on the occasion of March 8

40 artists, including lecturers and students from the University of Arts, the University of Sciences (Hue University), along with other painters and architects, participated in a creative program titled Sketching French Architectural Heritage and Cultural-Historical Relics in Hue.

Amid the flow of visitors experiencing the Ancient Capital, the image of Mr. Nguyen Don Long - a male tour guide (born in 1986) wearing the traditional ao dai - quietly tells the story of love for culture, spreading traditional values in a distinct Hue way.

Kicking off Hue Ao Dai Week 2026, scheduled to take place from July 3 to 10, is the event “Ao dai Connecting Tourism and Heritage”, which will be held on the morning of July 3 at the Quoc Tu Giam area.

Amid the rhythm of modern life, as fashion becomes increasingly diverse and is constantly changing, the traditional ao-dai continues to remain a lasting presence in the lives of women in the former imperial capital. In Hue, the graceful image of women’s association members wearing Ao-dai is not only a symbol of beauty but also a way of preserving and spreading the traditional cultural values of their homeland.

On a pure morning, I bumped into groups of visitors strolling along the path leading into Hue Imperial Citadel. Cradling her camera in both hands, Ms. Marie, a French tourist, asked the guide in a gentle voice: “May I… try on Vietnam’s traditional costume?”. That question seemed to open an unexpected journey for them, an experience that felt as if they could touch the ancient soul of Hue