Hanoi ao dai festival for tourism promotion

In the context of the 70th anniversary of the capital's liberation, Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2024 celebrates the beauty of Vietnamese ao dai while promoting Hanoi as a travel destination.

Celebrating ao dai with Hanoi’s cultural heritage

Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival 2024 aims to honor and introduce the unique cultural beauty of the traditional ao dai of the Vietnamese people to visitors to Hanoi. Photo: Bui Lan Huong

The Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2024 will run from October 4 to 6 at Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center with the theme "Hanoi - The Quintessence of Ao Dai". In addition to offering a distinctive cultural heritage site, the festival is expected to establish itself as an annual fall tourism attraction in Hanoi.

The festival has become an annual event that seeks to recognize and preserve the distinctive cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people's traditional ao dai, while at the same time promoting and encouraging local tourism, according to Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department. In addition, the costume is intended to serve as a remarkable souvenir for foreign guests visiting Vietnam.

Through tales, large-scale and diverse activities, Hanoi’s tourism sector hopes to tell a story about the ao dai as a “tourism ambassador” and a cultural heritage. The long tunic will spread the image of Vietnam to a large number of international tourists and friends, thereby helping to promote the capital of Hanoi as a “Safe - Friendly - Quality - Attractive” destination, Giang said.

The Ao dai Collection by designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam

The opening ceremony on the evening of October 4, themed "Hanoi - The Quintessence of Ao Dai," is a blend of instrumental music, stage lighting and epic songs depicting the 70-year history of liberated Hanoi.

There will be ao dai collection parade of 70 designers from all over the country, showcasing ao dai brands such as OZ Design House, Ao Dai La Hang, Ao Dai Do Trinh Hoai Nam, and others.   Ao dai photo exhibition will also be held, while tourism products and services combining ao dai will be presented.

Participating in the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2024 as a designer, Miss Vietnam 2010 Ngoc Han brought dozens of ao dai designs in her latest collection. "This activity has given young designers more opportunities to develop and globalize Vietnamese ao dai. This is the goal and strategy that designers of our generation are pursuing. Moreover, I hope that Vietnamese ao dai will reach the world as it is of interest to all media companies worldwide," Han said.

Vietnamese beauty queen Ngoc Han in her ao dai design. Photo: Ngoc Han Boutique

As revealed by artisan Nguyen Van Su, head of the Association of Craft, Ancient and Cultural Villages (Hanoi Tourism Association), the event will allow locals and tourists to admire the demonstration of ao dai making by artisans from traditional craft villages such as Trach Xa Ao Dai Village and Van Phuc Silk Village, while sampling Hanoi cuisine under the theme "Thang Long's Five Flavors" with light snacks typical of Hanoi.

Promoting the capital’s tourism

Members of the Dinh Lang Viet Club (Vietnamese Communal House Club) join the Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duc Binh

Nguyen Thu Thuy of Vietnam National University in Hanoi said the ao dai has a huge advantage in promoting Vietnam's tourism image among globetrotters who love experiential activities. With the garment, we can design specialized tours where tourists with reservations can participate in experiential activities such as fabric dyeing or beading," she said.

At the end, they will receive the product to which they have contributed in the elaboration process. Tourists will appreciate these products, which they will keep for a long time and tell their friends about. This brings great practical benefits to local tourism. 

According to Nguyen Duc Binh, chairman of the Vietnamese Village Communal House Club, the first beneficiary of promoting ao dai is the history of Vietnamese culture, from which businesses can develop tourism products related to the costume.

Exploring the beauty of Hanoi from above on a hop-on, hop-off bus named "Quintessence of Ao Dai" is a highlight of Hanoi Tourism's 2024 Ao Dai Festival. Photo: Hanoi Tourism Department

"Hanoi, in the cultural centers of its old quarter and artisan villages, can hold exhibitions introducing the meaning and history of ao dai. In addition, costume shows, photo tours and other programs can be fully combined to tell the story of ao dai. Visitors can try on costumes, from Vietnamese traditional costumes to modern ao dai, at tourist destinations with spaces suitable for ao dai, such as the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy, or houses in Hanoi's Old Quarter," Binh suggested.

Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, discussed the benefits of the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2024 for the travel industry. He pointed out that this special event is a culmination of distinctive and attractive travel types, which in turn attracts tourists to Hanoi and Vietnam. The Ao Dai Festival for Hanoi Tourism opens up new vistas and contributes significantly to making Hanoi and Vietnam's tourism in general a popular destination for both domestic and foreign visitors.