My childhood was marked with the image of my mother stroking her ao dai flat before going out (Ao dai is traditional costume for women (and men) in Vietnam.) At that time, cloth produced in the country was cheap; my mother had many ao dai of different colors tailored. She wore ao dai everywhere she went on every occasion.

Dozens of traditional Ao Dai display booths, along with accompanying accessories and famous art products from Hue, were recently exhibited at An Dinh Palace (Phan Dinh Phung Street, Hue City) on the afternoon of August 1st.

The antique architectural constructions, the bridges which are inherent with the history of the Capital, as well as the traditional royal dances, or just simply the dragon boats, paper flower lanterns, etc., were described innocently but gracefully and meticulously and prettily on Ao dai by the children.

Ao Dai, no matter how beautiful and culturally significant it is, must also incorporate fashion elements and be adapted to fit the modern era in order to remain relevant. How can we attract the attention of the young generation to the traditional Ao Dai, so they will wear it proudly and honor its beauty and cultural heritage? This is not a task that can be achieved overnight.

During a recent tourism survey in Malaysia, Hue tourism businesses chose to wear the traditional Ao Dai when working with partners.

On the night of March 6, Hue Monuments Conservation Center announced that they would offer free entrance ticket for female tourists wearing traditional Ao dai to visit relics on International Women’s Day.