The launch ceremony of the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club in Sweden took place on September 14 (local time) in the city of Helsingborg, which is home to the largest Vietnamese population in southern Sweden.
Speaking at the launch, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Permanent Deputy Director of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Fund and Head of the Vietnam Ao Dai Heritage Club, said she was proud of the establishment of the club and expressed her hope that the image of the Vietnamese Ao Dai will always be preserved, honoured, and spread to overseas Vietnamese in other countries and international friends.
In his letter sent to the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Ao Dai Heritage Club in Sweden, Vietnamese Ambassador Vietnam Sweden Tran Van Tuan said that for generations, Ao Dai has been a charming part of Vietnamese culture, the pride of the Vietnamese people. Ao Dai adds a touch of elegance and beauty to Vietnamese women.
Therefore, preserving the Ao Dai heritage is also a way to preserve the cultural identity of the Vietnamese people, he affirmed.
He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club in Sweden will make every effort to safeguard promote the value of Ao Dai in the Vietnamese community in the host country and Swedish people, contributing to strengthening solidarity and connection between people of the two countries.
He pledged that the Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden will accompany and support the Overseas Vietnamese communities, especially the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club in Sweden, in implementing activities to safeguard and uphold the value of Vietnamese Ao Dai.
According to President of the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club in Sweden Tran Thi Oanh, Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Clubs have been established across Vietnamese cities and localities as well as European countries.
The Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club in Europe was established under the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club’s decision dated August 8, 2024. The launch ceremony of the Vietnam Ao Dai Heritage Club in Europe is scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, on September 26.
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An Ao Dai show was held at the launch ceremony |
Most recently, the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club debuted in France and Belgium. It is expected that by mid-2025, the model will be launched in 18 other countries.
Oanh said that the club will be a cultural link aimed at preserving Vietnamese identity, gathering the participation of Vietnamese women in provinces and cities in the organisation of Ao Dai promotion programmes abroad as well as discussions and seminars on Ao Dai, contributing to the joint effort to seek UNESCO’s recognition on the Ao Dai as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The Ao Dai is not only a symbol of cultural tradition, the gentle charm, and the elegance of women; it is also an indispensable costume in major celebrations and anniversaries of families and communities in Vietnam, such as the New Year holiday and weddings.
The Ao Dai is also a delicate work of art and an endless source of inspiration for artists and designers.
