Elaborately recreating Nguyen Dynasty Vietnamese costumes from the original heritage

Vietnamese costume is a concept used to refer to traditional costumes of Vietnamese people, especially during the feudal period. Through the Ly, Tran, Le, Nguyen dynasties, each costume has a clear mark of aesthetics, social status and philosophy of life.

Among them, the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal dynasty of the country, left behind a particularly standardized and symbolic system of clothing.

Once forgotten for decades, Vietnamese traditional dress is now returning with a new look: still intact with the old spirit, but alive in a modern space.

From May 23 to 30, at a cafe space imbued with folk culture in Hanoi , the exhibition " A Glimpse of Gold" brings an impressive visual journey with royal robes, ceremonial gowns, dragonfly-wing hats... meticulously restored based on original artifacts that once wandered around the world .

The exhibition "Lap phan vang son" introduces 10 sets of Vietnamese costumes of the Nguyen Dynasty, clearly showing the quintessence of royal culture through every line, material and embroidery technique, aiming to bring a realistic and vivid experience to visitors.

Here, Vietnamese costumes are not placed in glass cases but hung on the wall, with a brief explanation of the original documents, artifacts, and period of use.

From his passion for traditional costumes, Mr. Vu Duc founded one of the units researching and restoring traditional costumes in Vietnam. His group coordinated the organization of the Bach Hoa Bo Hanh event and created a buzz in the traditional costume-loving community, contributing to promoting the wave of learning and restoring traditional costumes.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Vu Duc said that each costume made is a process of historical investigation.

“We had to choose every thread, every color, and we needed evidence to prove that it was true to the original. The goal was to recreate it as accurately as possible – in proportion, in detail, and in the aesthetic of the period,” he says.

One of the highly appreciated costumes at the exhibition is the phoenix robe of the Empress Dowager Doan Huy, mother of King Bao Dai.

The restored version was made based on a real dress that appeared at an auction in France in 2019, identified as belonging to the last Queen Mother of the Nguyen Dynasty.

To complete the phoenix robe of Duc Tu Cung - Doan Huy Hoang Thai Hau, the restoration team spent nearly 2 years researching and implementing.

The work was restored at a 1:1 scale from the original artifact, starting from comparing documentary photos from multiple angles, building a 3D model, choosing the right type of traditional silk, and accurately restoring the royal embroidery technique.

Thu Thuy (born in 1989), who works in the fashion industry, said she came to the exhibition because she wanted to learn about traditional ethnic costumes. "I was very impressed with the sophisticated details on the brocade dress. The exhibition helped me understand the ingenuity and meticulousness of traditional artisans," said Ms. Thuy.

As a culture enthusiast, Thai Ha (left, born in 2000) expressed her admiration for the splendor in every detail of the restoration. "I learned about the exhibition through Facebook and was really surprised to see such beautiful costumes with my own eyes," Ha shared.

Some young people with a passion for traditional culture wore traditional costumes to the exhibition, excitedly taking photos to check-in in the space filled with folk culture.

Although the exhibition is open to the public and encourages hands-on experience, it has its own rules to protect the copyright of the reconstructions. Visitors are not allowed to take close-up photos of the costumes, only from the side or diagonal angles. Frontal photos are only allowed from a distance.

This is how the Organizing Committee preserves the results of many years of painstaking research by the implementing team, while preventing the risk of illegal copying.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/tai-hien-cong-phu-viet-phuc-trieu-nguyen-tu-di-san-goc-20250524105901675.htm