The eighth Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress) Festival will take place from March 5 to April 15, announced at a press conference held on March 1 by the municipal Tourism Department and the Vietnam Women’s Union – Ho Chi Minh City chapter. |
Over its seven editions, the festival has been established as a notable tourism and cultural event for Ho Chi Minh city which receives the attention and enthusiastic response of Ao Dai designers, cultural researchers, writers, artists, diplomatic corps, locals, and tourists. Themed ‘I Love Vietnamese Ao Dai’, this year’s event aims to honour the beauty of the traditional outfit and encourage local residents and tourists to wear Ao Dai, thus contributing to preserving and upholding the national culture, and promoting the land and people of Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular. It is also among the city’s recovery efforts and determination to promote Ho Chi Minh City as an attractive and safe destination after the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 festival will feature an Ao Dai parade themed ‘Aspiration for Peace’, art performances, an Ao Dai exhibition, a drawing contest on Ao Dai entitled ‘Ao Dai and Flowers’, and an Ao Dai design competition, among others. The organising board has called on Ao Dai tailoring shops and clothing accessory providers to offer discounts for festival goers. Travel businesses are also encouraged to make practical actions in response to the festival by providing discounted tours and presenting gifts to customers, in March and April. Within the framework of the festival, many tourist sites within the city will adopt entrance fee discounts for visitors wearing Ao Dai. Source: Nhan Dan Online |