The ASEAN Traditional Costume Exhibition is jointly held by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the embassies of ASEAN countries at the National Museum in Hanoi from October 21 to 28 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN Community and Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.

Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, and embassies of ASEAN countries attend the exhibition on October 21. Photo: TGVN

At the event, culture, lifestyle and idiosyncrasies of the ten ASEAN member countries are presented through the beauty of traditional costumes to strengthen mutual understanding among the peoples in the region, and contribute to expanding economic, investment and tourism cooperation, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said at the opening ceremony on October 21.

Five years after its establishment, the ASEAN Community has become an organization which is cohesive politically, bound economically with shared responsibility, as well as an important and reliable partner in international cooperation, Mr. Dong said.

Besides the favorable opportunities, ASEAN is facing challenges due to the Covid-19 fallout. In this context, the ASEAN Community needs to show more evident and closer connections among members in order to create synergy to firmly overcome the challenge, Mr. Dong added.

Southeast Asian countries have a unique and rich culture, so the traditional costumes of the countries are also extremely diverse based on geographical characteristics, ethnic identities, climate, traditional culture and region.

Traditional costumes not only demonstrate the beauty of clothing, but also honor the cultural traditions and souls of the people of each country in the ASEAN Community, Mr. Dong said.

Although Western costumes are more convenient and widely used in everyday life, traditional costumes remain preferred for important celebrations and festivities for their unique cultural beauty.

The organizers expected that the exhibition could contribute to strengthening connectivity and friendly solidarity among ASEAN countries and become an outstanding cultural event to celebrate the year of ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 in Vietnam.