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.

Young designer Linda Hoang (born Hoang Kim Ngoc Uyen Nhi in 1992 in Hue City) is transforming the traditional ao dai by bringing dragon-horse patterns and royal court motifs to linen garments and modern fashion. ​

Together with the Huong River - Ngu Mountain, the conical hat and the purple ao dai of Hue Women are also a symbolic cultural combo that is deeply connected with the locals in the Ancient Capital. And the poet Bui Giang once “fell in love”: The poetic conical hat / Taking you to Hue City / Sunshine pierces the rim / Revealing the soul of homeland in poetry… (Taking you to the city).

In 2020, when male officials and civil servants of the Department of Culture and Sports wore ao dai during working days and the weekly flag-raising ceremony, it immediately sparked controversy online. Then, it was not just the cultural sector, at important events, the provincial leaders (now Hue City) and intellectuals also began wearing ao dai. The appearance of the traditional ao dai for both men and women at cultural and educational events made the ceremonies more solemn, elegant, and impressive.

The “Ao Dai and Music” art show, held on the stage along the banks of the Perfume River on the evening of June 20th, marked the closing of the 2025 Hue Community Ao Dai Week. The event unfolded in a space rich in identity, emotion, and deep affection for Ao dai Vietnam.

On June 11, Hue City Library held an exhibition displaying the works from the children’s drawing contest under the theme “Ao dai and Childhood”.

The Community Ao dai Week, which kicked off the Summer Festival 2025 in early June, has drawn a large number of designers, models, artists, cultural experts, and researchers, etc. Each participant acts as an ambassador, promoting Hue Ao dai in particular and the traditional Ao dai Vietnam in general.

This was the theme of the seminar held by the Department of Education and Training in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Sports on the afternoon of June 10 at Quoc Học - Hue High school for the Gifted. The event was held to respond to the Community Ao dai Week in Hue in 2025.