The Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) will become Hanoi's "tourism ambassador" during the 2025 festival season.

Celebrating the Ao Dai - A Living Heritage of Vietnamese Culture

Speaking at the event's press conference, Mr. Nguyen Tran Quang, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said: “The ao dai is a garment that has been closely associated with the glorious history of our nation. Over the years, the ao dai has become the dignified and elegant 'national costume' of Vietnamese women. Especially in the context of strong global integration, the ao dai has become a cultural symbol of the Vietnamese people, a cultural heritage of the nation, and a tourism ambassador with the great mission of introducing and promoting a part of Vietnamese culture to international friends.”

This year, the festival has been expanded in scale with many activities: the opening ceremony and art program "Hanoi Ao Dai - Shining with Heritage Essence", the final round of the design competition "Ao Dai - Connecting Heritage", an Ao Dai parade around Hoan Kiem Lake, a mass performance "Hanoi Women Integrating and Developing", and the "Touching Autumn in Hanoi" experience tour on a double-decker bus, offering visitors a journey to experience Hanoi in a culturally rich and emotional space.

The festival space at the Hanoi Museum is decorated with inspiration from Hanoi's autumn colors - combining contemporary art installations with traditional elements such as lotus flowers, silk, Khue Van Cac, a corner of Hanoi's Old Quarter, or a vibrant golden autumn scene in the heart of the Museum.

A space connecting heritage and creativity.

This year, the festival features approximately 80 elaborately decorated exhibition booths, bringing together designers and businesses from Hanoi and other localities, weaving, embroidery, and silk-making villages, as well as many artisans from all over the country.

In particular, the two-hour on-the-spot tailoring service for traditional Vietnamese ao dai, the Hanoi ao dai photo-op space, and the folk food market promise to attract a large number of locals and tourists. These are fresh highlights, offering a visual and emotional cultural experience, contributing to bringing Vietnamese cultural heritage closer to contemporary life.

In addition, the festival offers a series of creative workshops such as folk embroidery, decorative painting, and crafting accessories (straw bags, clogs, bracelets, bamboo dragonflies, etc.), giving participants the opportunity to "live in heritage" and experience the spirit of traditional craftsmanship. This also serves as a bridge between traditional culture and youthful creativity, helping the public, especially Generation Z, to access heritage in a way that is intimate, interesting, and emotionally rich.

The festival space features traditional art forms such as Ca Tru, Cheo, Quan Ho, and Xam... sounds that evoke the roots of Vietnamese culture. Interspersed are folk games areas designed as a "garden of memories," where visitors can experience O An Quan (a traditional board game), bamboo pole dancing, tug-of-war, and immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere that strongly fosters community cohesion.

Spreading the love for the ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) to the community.

Designer Duc Hung, who has been involved in many major cultural programs in Hanoi, is one of the faces accompanying the festival. He shared: “This is a wonderful playground for us, the designers, to unleash our creativity. I hope that Vietnamese people in general and Hanoians in particular will love the ao dai even more, and that if they already love it, they will love it even more, so that we can be proud that Vietnam has an ao dai that is known to friends around the world.”

He stated that the opening night of "Hanoi Ao Dai - Shining with the Quintessence of Heritage" will feature an artistic program showcasing many outstanding collections from domestic designers: "The collections are arranged and seamlessly integrated to create a complete program, offering the audience in Hanoi a performance that is both creative and deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture."

After four seasons, the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival has become a familiar cultural event, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of designers, artisans, models, and fashion students. Beyond the fashion shows, the festival has spread widely to the community, with accompanying programs in wards, communes, and schools to help students learn about the history and significance of the Ao Dai.

One of the highlights of this year's festival is the Ao Dai parade around Hoan Kiem Lake, recreating the procession honoring the patron saint of tailoring in Trach Xa village - the cradle of traditional Ao Dai tailoring. Hundreds of locals and tourists, dressed in Ao Dai and traditional costumes, immersed themselves in the vibrant atmosphere, creating a dazzling scene in the heart of the capital city.

In addition, the program "Hanoi Women Integrating and Developing" will bring together 350 Hanoi women in vibrant ao dai dresses, performing to the music of "Hanoi, Faith and Hope," sending a message about the beauty, strength, and integration spirit of modern Vietnamese women.

The Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2025 promises to be a highlight of Hanoi tourism this autumn, offering an artistic space that blends tradition and modernity, contributing to affirming Hanoi's position as a heritage city and a creative city.

Text and photos: Hai Anh