Myriad activities honoring the traditional dress of ao dai brought close to 3.5 million visitors, including 480,000 foreigners, to Ho Chi Minh City last month, VNA reported.

According to the municipal Tourism Department, these activities generated over VND 15.97 trillion (USD 665.6 million) in revenue.

This year, the annual ao dai festival, a signature event of the southern metropolis for a decade, featured a mass fashion show of 5,000 people wearing the costume, a trade fair, as well as a wide range of online and offline competitions attracting thousands.

In addition, more than 30,000 ao dai were given away to women from all walks of life, particularly those with disadvantaged backgrounds.

The opening ceremony was attended by 10 diplomatic agencies along with the response of female Consul Generals and wives of Consul Generals from other countries wearing ao dai. Photo: VGP

First launched in 2024, the festival also set a record for being the most frequently held annual event honoring and promoting the traditional dress.

‘Ao dai’ has been also chosen by many heads of state, leaders, and diplomats of other countries and their spouses when they come to Vietnam.

At its opening ceremony taking place on March 7 evening, the public was treated to a spectacle of over 800 ao dai designs meticulously crafted by 30 renowned local designers, with more than 20 prominent writers, artists, and celebrities serving as ambassadors. Photo: Loan Be

Most recently, foreign Consuls General and their spouses wore this costume while attending a seminar themed "Vietnamese ao dai and international integration", held within the framework of the 10th Ao Dai Festival in HCM City.

Tri Astuti Sofjan, wife of the Indonesian Consul General in HCM City, said that this is the third year she has experienced wearing ‘ao dai’. When wearing ‘ao dai’, a woman can show her charisma and confidence, she added.

On this occasion, delegates had an opportunity to listen to the history of ‘ao dai’, attend an exhibition on ‘ao dai ngu than’ (five-part long dress) and the steps of measuring and sewing handmade ‘ao dai’, and see ‘ao dai’ shows.

During the current international integration process, models with new design ideas and materials are more impressive, clearly demonstrating the spirit of integration.

The "Lady" collection by designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam was presented at the opening night of the Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival to help the public have a clear view of the journey of "Ao dai to the world". Photo: VGP

Designer Duc Vincie shared he always wants to spread the beauty of ‘ao dai’ to international friends through collections made based on environmentally friendly materials, traditional materials, and national characteristics. This time, he chose to make a collection of silk, ordered from craft villages such as Nha Xa and Bao Loc.

Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the municipal Department of Tourism, affirmed that through 10 years of the Ao Dai Festival, the city wants to make ‘ao dai’ become a special image in cultural diplomacy, helping foreign friends understand more about Vietnamese land and people as well as bringing the country closer to the world.

Alisha Movent, a US tourist, said she and her friends were very excited to experience wearing ‘ao dai’ together when they came to HCM City. When she returned to her country, she bought many sets of these costumes as souvenirs for her family and friends.

Ao Dai exhibition and interactive space at Nguyen Hue walking street has attracted tens of thousands of people to visit and experience. Source: FB page of Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival 2020

The Seminar "The Beauty of Ao Dai - International Integration" aims to exchange and promote Vietnamese cultural identity. Source: FB page of Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival 2020

The Ao Dai painting contest attracted more than 400 elementary, middle and high school students to participate, producing many impressive works about the Ho Chi Minh City. Source: FB page of Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival 2020

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