Hanoi Ao Dai Month 2024 was launched on the first day of October, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day (October 10, 1954 - 2024) and the 94th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union (October 20, 1930 - 2024). 

An ao dai parade at the opening ceremony. Photo: Moc Mien/The Hanoi Times

The campaign, which runs until October 20, is also part of activities in response to the Ao Dai Tourism Festival 2024 and aims to celebrate the beauty of national attire and express love, solidarity, and responsibility in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values and identity.

Speaking at the launch, Hanoi Women's Union Vice Chairwoman Pham Thi My Hoa said the campaign not only celebrates the beauty of Vietnamese women but also promotes the dress to the international community.

"It also aims to reinforce the cultural value of the costume in modern life, while providing an opportunity for local women to show their love, solidarity, and commitment to preserving and promoting the country's cultural heritage," Hoa said.  

She encouraged women to wear the national dress during commemorative activities and important events at their workplaces. This is a practical measure to preserve, promote, and disseminate the value of traditional ao dai.

Many ao dai designs are displayed at the opening ceremony. Photo: VGP

"The organizing committee called on female officials, civil servants, public servants, workers, and students in Hanoi to wear the iconic traditional dress on Mondays and Fridays during Hanoi Ao Dai Month," Hoa said. 

At the event, the Hanoi Women's Union and sponsors presented 50 scholarships and 50 traditional ao dai to high school girls from disadvantaged backgrounds throughout the city. 

The opening ceremony included a forum on 'Traditional Ao Dai - cultural values, preservation and development in the contemporary context'.

The Forum is joined by artisans and researchers. Photo: Quynh Chi/The Hanoi Times

At the discussion, researchers and artisans shared their perspectives on the preservation and development of the cultural value of traditional ao dai, including its history and evolution. In addition, experts discussed the functionality, aesthetic significance, and cultural identity of traditional dress, as well as changes in sewing and wearing ao dai in contemporary life. They suggested experiences and solutions to preserve the dress in today's society.

Artisan and researcher Nguyen Duc Binh, head of the Vietnamese Village Communal House Club, emphasized that the changes in the sewing and wearing of ao dai in contemporary Vietnamese life have both positive and negative elements.

"If positive values are spread and promoted, and negative issues are suppressed, it will help people understand and perceive more deeply the true beauty of modern ao dai, while still staying true to the nation's traditional values," Binh said.

He added that the discussion aims to share with everyone the experiences of the Vietnamese Village Communal House Club on traditional ao dai, so that each citizen, especially women, can better understand the characteristics and cultural identity of the dress.

"We also hope to make a small contribution so that the values of the ao dai will soon be recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage and then a World Cultural Heritage," Binh emphasized.