Ao dai - the costume that young people in Hue choose
Identity
The historical and cultural traditions that Hue owns help shape beautiful values including lifestyle, material and spiritual needs, costume, table manners, how to communicate and behave, which are all very typical.
According to the researcher Nguyen Huu Thong, thanks to blessing and some rare opportunities in the history, Hue is predestined to possess treasuries. Not everywhere can gather many members of the elite of the whole country throughout many centuries as Hue did.
As analyzed by Dr. Thai Kim Lan, it is the landscape and the social and cultural conditions of the former imperial capital of Hue, plus education in the family about tradition that have built up the identity for Hue where people respect morality and spiritual life and gear toward dignity. Hue characters are discreetness, reflections of the presence in daily life, and desires to reach the depth of the soul and the beauty of the spirit.
According to the poet Nguyen Khoa Diem, thanks to the difficult and challenging process of adaptation through time, the spiritual heritage is like a gem that becomes shiny with smoothing. The overall picture of Hue culture thus becomes more and more diverse, profound, and tempting.
Those values are patriotism, humanity, kindness, respect for intellect, law and etiquette, and other spiritual values. They can be seen through the attitude of Hue people toward the protection of cultural and historical monuments of the country as well as that in each family, clan and village of Hue people.
They also include linguistic identity, accent, lifestyle, cultural traditions, consistence and unchangeability. Those values are unlike those of the nation but in Hue people make a difference.
Preserving the identity
According to the researcher and translator Buu Y, in order to keep and promote that identity of Hue, first and foremost, each person must really love it. From that, we can draw up a course of action with specific and feasible steps so that everyone can lend a helping hand. The young generation is those who conserve the identity, the spirit and the virtues of Hue people. It is therefore important to teach them about cultural traditions and to form their personalities.
Family traditions should be maintained as examples for young generations. “Children are lucky to be born into a disciplined family. From my observation and experience, telling our children about family traditions, including those of the extended family is a good way to evoke in young generations the awareness about the surrounding and build up their personalities in the process,” said Dr. Thai Kim Lan.
Gladly, more and more young people in Hue are finding their ways back to the cultural heritage of the predecessor. IZI group often organize programs so that students and pupils can explore landscapes, historical monuments, and craft villages, etc.
Many young Hue-born men as well as those who fall in love with Hue have decided to stay here and have done many meaningful things for this romantic place. “In this era of integration, some traditional values are fading away. Through these activities, we would like to evoke the love for traditional cultural heritage in young people,” said Minh Khue, a member of IZI.
On a larger scale, in order to protect, cultivate and develop the values and personalities of Hue people in the new age, based on Vietnamese values, it is necessary to research, identify, and develop Hue values for different circles. At the same time, the typical traditions of Hue people such as discipline, piety, respecting etiquette, peacefulness, friendliness, etc., should be succeeded and promoted.
Story and photo: MINH HIEN