International travelers, politicians, and expats, as well as Vietnamese women of all ages and walks of life, are invited to participate in the "Charming Women in Vietnamese Ao Dai" photo contest, which will run until August 2024.

The contest is one of a series of cultural events to celebrate the city's 70th anniversary of liberation that will be organized as part of the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival in 2024, including a photo contest showing the beauty of women in ao dai, or Vietnamese traditional costume, an ao dai folk dance contest, an ao dai carnival; and others.

Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival in 2023. Photo: Duyen Tran

According to the Hanoi Women's Union, one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes and 10 consolation prizes will be awarded for the best photos of women in typical Vietnamese dress. The awards ceremony will be held on October 5 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi.

In addition, "The Month of Hanoi Ao Dai in 2024" will be launched on October 1 at the Vietnam Women's Museum, with a special ao dai performance immediately following the launch ceremony.

The grand finale will be the Ao Dai Carnival, themed "Hanoi Women in Integration and Development", where the city will come alive with a vibrant display of fashion and cultural expression.

A charming Hanoi woman in her ao dai. Photo: Thao Le

The event will be held at Hanoi's iconic Thang Long Imperial Citadel at 8 a.m. on October 5, with the participation of women from 579 communes, wards and townships in Hanoi.

In addition, the Hanoi Women's Union, in coordination with the Department of Culture and Sports, will organize a folk dance contest with the theme "Hanoi Women: Healthy and Beautiful". Participants can submit their dance video clips to the contest organizers by the end of August.

The Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2024 will take place from October 4 to 6 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, with the main stage at Doan Mon Square, 19C Hoang Dieu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

About 80 to 100 booths at the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2024 will showcase creations from ao dai designers and brands from North, Central, and South Vietnam.

An ao dai performance at the Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival in 2023. Photo: Duyen Tran

The festival will also feature the Ao Dai Fashion Show, the Ao Dai Exhibition, the promotion of tourism products and traditional handicraft villages, and Hanoi Culinary Space.

This is the third edition of the festival organized by the Department of Tourism and the Hanoi Women's Union.

The organizing committee hopes to make the traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai a "tourism ambassador" and the annual Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival a typical tourism product of Hanoi's tourism industry.

The cultural event also aims to commemorate major holidays in 2024, especially the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the capital.

According to Vu Thu Ha, deputy chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee, the festival is a response to the government's resolution to develop cultural industries in the capital.