This not only celebrates the elegance of the Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress) but also spreads a meaningful message about the aspirations of Vietnamese women to rise high and reach far on their journey to take charge of the future, integrate, and shine on the global stage.
On April 13, the Central Vietnam Women’s Union held the Ao Dai Art Programme “Huong Sac Viet Nam” in Hanoi.
In her opening remarks, Nguyen Thi Tuyen, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, stated that since 2019, the union has initiated and collaborated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organise events under the theme “Ao Dai – Vietnamese Cultural Heritage”, aiming to have Ao Dai recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage and to propose its recognition by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Continuing the journey of promoting the Ao Dai as a global cultural heritage, the “Huong Sac Viet Nam” programme brought together a variety of unique singing, dancing, and musical performances, vividly portraying the beauty of the Ao Dai and the aspirations of Vietnamese women in the modern era.
Within the programme, the Ao Dai collections were presented by beauty queens, models, artists, singers, professional dancers, and female students from the Vietnam Women’s Academy. These performances offered a new perspective on the harmony between tradition and the spirit of modern womanhood, honouring the Ao Dai while spreading an inspiring message of Vietnamese women’s journey to master their future and integrate into the world.
Recognising the significance and necessity of spreading the values of the Vietnamese Ao Dai, the Vietnam Women’s Union encourages women across the country to take part in the annual “Ao Dai Week” during March 8 celebrations. It also guides local chapters to organise meaningful activities to honour the Ao Dai, such as large-scale mass performances and parades that have set Vietnamese Guinness records, initiatives to donate Ao Dai to disadvantaged women, and the “Start-up from Ao Dai” programme (2023–2025) supporting more than 10,000 members.
