Ao Dai journey connecting heritage and tourism in Hanoi

Speaking at the program, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Nguyen Tran Quang said that this is the largest parade ever, with many experiential activities, not only honoring Ao Dai as an intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam but also contributing to affirming Hanoi as a cultural and creative destination, where heritage is "breathed into" contemporary life and aiming to build Ao Dai into a typical tourism product of the Capital.

From 2pm to 5pm, the colorful Ao Dai dresses stretch along the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, creating a unique cultural highlight in the center of the capital. Along with that, the bus tour "Touching Autumn in Hanoi" takes tourists in Ao Dai around the streets, contributing to promoting the image of Ao Dai and Hanoi tourism to a large number of people and tourists at home and abroad.

The procession of Trach Xa tailoring village's founder by artisans. Photo: Anh Minh.

One of the highlights is the reenactment of the Trach Xa Tailoring Ancestor Procession by artisans of the craft village - the homeland of the traditional ao dai tailoring profession, which has been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Participating in the parade, 110 Trach Xa people performed the ritual of welcoming the craft founder, honoring the beauty and traditional values of the craft village and expressing gratitude to the generations who have created, preserved and developed the ao dai tailoring profession. The participation of prominent artisans, including artisan Nghiem Van Dat - who has tirelessly "fueled" the Trach Xa ao dai tailoring profession to reach further - helped the public better understand the more than one thousand year history of the craft village, which is famous for its soft, flowing ao dai, created from meticulous and sophisticated manual sewing techniques.

Artists at the parade. (Photo: Anh Minh)

Associated with the Saint of the tailoring profession Nguyen Thi Sen, one of the four concubines of King Dinh Tien Hoang, Trach Xa people have long brought the profession to all regions, opened tailor shops, passed the profession on to successive generations, forming the tradition of "father to son" and the unique feature of "men being more skillful than women". Rituals such as the opening ceremony of the year, the anniversary of the profession's founder in December every year continue to be maintained, affirming the cultural depth of the craft village in the midst of modern life.

Along with that, the Vietnamese Costume Festival parade "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" gathered nearly 800 people in ancient costumes, five-panel ao dai and other types of traditional Vietnamese costumes.

This is an opportunity for the community of researchers, collectors and users of traditional costumes in Hanoi to introduce their achievements and share their love for the ao dai and traditional costumes. The costume blocks are organized by theme, by form (ao dai, ao tac, ao nhat binh, ao giao linh, ao vien linh...) or by function (daily clothes, ceremonial clothes, royal clothes...), vividly recreating the appearance of Vietnamese costumes through many historical periods.

Traditional costumes of 54 ethnic groups performed harmoniously in a joyful atmosphere. (Photo: Anh Minh)

The contents such as the traditional costumes of 54 ethnic groups; the five-panel ao dai - the national costume of the Nguyen Dynasty; the Truc Linh ao dai of the Le Dynasty; the four-panel and four-panel ao dai of the Ly-Tran Dynasty; the ASEAN traditional costumes commemorating the 30th anniversary of Vietnam joining ASEAN... were performed harmoniously in the walking street space, helping people and tourists have the opportunity to approach and learn in a visual and vivid way. The last block is for the community to freely respond, people choose the ao dai or traditional costumes to participate, creating an open and close space for exchange, spreading love for national costumes.

Modernized ao dai but still retains its beauty. (Photo: Anh Minh)

The program also featured a parade of traditional and modernized ao dai with the participation of designers, fashion brands and organizations such as Trinh Fashion (designer Trinh Bich Thuy), designer Mai Hoa, Thanh Design, New Youth Association, Vietnam Craft Village Fine Arts Research Institute, Vietnam Consumer Cooperatives Union (VCCU) and more than 100 officials and women's union members of Hoan Kiem ward. The collections showcased the diverse and modern beauty while still preserving the traditional spirit of the ao dai.

Performance by the Vietnam Ao Dai Heritage Club in Hanoi. (Photo: Anh Minh)

In particular, 200 members of the Hanoi City Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club, along with a large number of locals and tourists, contributed to creating a brilliant, unique scene in the heart of the capital.

Performances of traditional ao dai and ancient costumes on the walking street convey a message of love for ao dai, honor the beauty of Hanoi women, and at the same time promote the image of the capital with thousands of years of culture, civilization, and modernity, as a safe, friendly, and attractive destination.

Parade of Hoan Kiem ward. (Photo: Anh Minh)

Foreign tourists excitedly watch the parade. (Photo: Anh Minh)

The Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Parade has brought the "breath" of Ao Dai from the museum space - where heritage memories are preserved - to the streets, where heritage lives and shines in contemporary life; contributing to affirming Ao Dai as a unique cultural symbol associated with the image of the Capital and the country of Vietnam.

HOANG DUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hanh-trinh-ao-dai-ket-noi-di-san-va-du-lich-ha-noi-post923391.html