Ninth Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival in 2023 kicks off

The ninth Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival in 2023 kicks off (Photo: SGGP)

At the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the city People's Committee Duong Anh Duc said that the Ao Dai not only symbolizes the beauty of the Vietnamese people but also reminds of a friendly and gentle country; Ao Dai is reminiscent of a destination imbued with identity in the hearts of international tourists. The endogenous power of Ao Dai is an endless source of inspiration for designers and creative artists to join the city in creating more and more attractive Ao Dai festivals, which are always warmly welcomed by locals and tourists in March.

The special festival has become an annual cultural tourism event, typical of the southern largest city, not only spreading the love of Ao Dai, contributing to preserving and promoting the good traditional values of Vietnamese people but also introducing to international friends the modern and friendly Ho Chi Minh City destination, said Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc.

At the opening ceremony, 21 collections of Ao Dai designers under the main themes include Ao Dai in the heart of the city, Ao Dai integrating with the world, Ao Dai - Essence of a thousand years.

Collections associated with the cultural and tourism characteristics of Ho Chi Minh City such as Saigon Oi Collection - ao dai with city building images by designer Trisha Vo; the Ao Dai collection on the Saigon River by designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam with the vibrant beauty of a riverside city named after President Ho Chi Minh with sophisticated traditional embroidery techniques from the Vietnamese craft villages in Hanoi’s Thuong Tin, Chuong My districts. The collection of Non Nuoc Vietnam by Artisan Trung Dinh is hand-dyed, designed on Vietnamese Silk background (Bao Loc Silk Village), showing poetic and majestic landscapes or cultural features and customs of regions in the country.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc at the festival (Photo: SGGP)

Chairwoman of the HCMC People’s Council Nguyen Thi Le at the festival (Photo: SGGP)

In particular, the collection of Natural Color Glue by designer Nguyen Duc Huy is introduced with designs of collared shirts such as four bodies, five bodies, Nhat Binh design, and phoenix robes sewn together with dyeing, natural weaving. They are traditional costumes associated with preserving, maintaining and stabilizing the life of ethnic craft villages.

The opening program also had the presence of designer Vu Huy with special circumstances, the collection of domestic flowers and ao dai performances by individuals and groups with special circumstances.

Also in the opening ceremony, the festival organizers introduced two experience spaces for visitors. One of the exhibitions of Ao Dai takes place from March 3 to 5 at the President Ho Chi Minh Monument Park Bright and the Ao Dai art path takes place from March 3 to 5 at Lam Son Park and the square in front of the Opera House.

The HCM City Ao Dai Festival in 2023 also has the participation and companionship of special ambassadors such as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of ​​​the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Israel Ly Duc Trung, Miss International Beauty Ambassador Luma Russo, first runner-up Miss Charm 2023 Ambassador Annabelle Mae McDonnell, second runner-up Miss Charm 2023 Ambassador Olivia Tan, Miss Tourism World 2022 Ambassador Erina Hanawa, first runner-up at Miss Tourism World 2022 Ambassador Le Thi Huong Ly, General Director of InterContinental Saigon Ambassador Justin Malcolm, General Director of Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel cum New Chairman of the Tourism, Restaurant and Hotel Subcommittee of the European Business Association in Vietnam Ambassador Mario Mendis.

Attending the opening ceremony were former Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, President of the Vietnam Women's Union Ha Thi Nga, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, Chairwoman of the HCMC People’s Council Nguyen Thi Le, Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City Tran Kim Yen and Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc, former Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, former Chairwoman of the city People's Council Pham Phuong Thao, former Chairwoman of the People's Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam and former Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Vo Thi Dung.