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| Leaders of the Department of Culture and Sports receive the national intangible cultural heritage titled “Knowledge of Huế Áo dài tailoring and wearing” from Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Phan Quy Phuong |
Nurtured in a region that was once the Imperial Capital
Previously, on August 9, 2024, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially recognized “The Knowledge of Huế People’s Áo dài tailoring and wearing” as a national intangible cultural heritage.
At the ceremony, Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, presented the history of the Áo dài. As for him, the five-panel áo dài, the predecessor of the modern Vietnamese áo dài, originated in Đàng Trong (the Inner Realm), closely tied to the history of Thuận Hoá - Phú Xuân region. This was the result of Vietnamese residents’ creativity during their southward expansion.
In 1744, the eighth Nguyễn Lord of Đàng Trong, Nguyễn Phúc Khoát, chose this attire as an everyday dress for all people in Đàng Trong (indicated a territory from Gianh River in Quảng Bình to the southern region). During the country’s unification in the early 19th century, Emperor Minh Mạng continued to choose the five-panel áo dài as the common dress for all Vietnamese people. Between 1837 and 1945, the five-panel áo dài was widespread in both North and South, considered the national dress of Vietnamese people.
The five-panel áo dài is regarded as formal, modest attire carrying deep humanitarian meaning, well-suited to Vietnamese physical features and sentiments.
Over 300 years, generations of Huế artisans have accumulated extensive knowledge of áo dài tailoring and wearing, clearly symbolizing aesthetic standards and social ethics. In modern times, the Huế áodài remains widely used, especially among students, civil servants, middle-aged and elderly people, and small business owners in shops and markets.
“The biggest difference between Huế’s áo dài and those from other regions is that it was nurtured in a cultural area that was once the capital of Vietnam’s last monarchy. Here, the aesthetics of the Nguyễn dynasty’s court attire, with its strict regulations, spread and merged with folk aesthetics to create unique characteristics not easily found in other regions,” noted Mr. Hai.
The áo dài has become a cultural custom and inspiration for poetry
Besides its traditional elegance and sophistication, the áo dài reminds wearers of human ethics and encourages Huế people to cherish and preserve their ancestors’ precious traditional values for future generations.
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| Ladies wearing áo dài attend the ceremony to receive the national intangible cultural heritage title for “Knowledge of Huế áo dài tailoring and wearing" |
In Huế, áo dài has become a familiar, beloved image, integrated into people’s daily life and culture, appearing in all ceremonial activities, festivals, and ordinary life in the former capital. It has become an endless source of inspiration for poetry, music, and art, symbolizing Huế’s women. When thinking of Huế, people immediately picture the former capital with its diverse festivals and traditional, typical and graceful áo dài.
Leaving home, Huế’s women wore áo dài. Whether going to school, shopping, rowing boats on the Hương River, or selling goods, Huế’s women wore áo dài. Today, although people do not strictly follow old customs, the proportion of Huế’s women who wear áo dài in public remains the highest in the country. Huế’s men also commonly wear áo dài for important occasions such as weddings, ancestral worship, temple ceremonies, spring outings, and holidays. Wearing áo dài gives men a dignified, majestic appearance and women grace and elegance.
Mr. Hải noted that Huế's áo dài tailoring shops are mainly concentrated in areas such as Gia Hội – Chợ Dinh, Kim Long, Vĩ Dạ, and Phủ Cam... These areas possess long-standing historical and cultural traditions, densely populated and home to families with generations of áo dài tailoring tradition. Today, the tradition of tailoring and wearing áo dài has been elevated and enhanced by famous Huế’s áo dài designers and tailors. Artisans and tailors carefully and meticulously handle every technical aspect, including cutting, sewing, hem threading, and button-making. The áo dài is not merely a garment but an artistic creation embodying Huế’s cultural identity.
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| Young women and children in áo dài participating in a community event |
The first áo dài festival was organized during the 2002 Huế Festival, making Huế proud to be Vietnam’s first locality to organize a festival celebrating the beauty of áo dài. Since then, áo dài festivals have been regularly held, not just during the festivals.
As a result, public awareness of áo dài’s beauty has increased, and Huế áo dài has become more popular, with a surge in customers seeking quick tailoring services. The Huế áo dài represents a synthesis of weaving, tailoring, embroidery, painting, design, and fashion, truly a cultural product aiming to become a cultural industry product serving tourism.
The provincial culture sector leader also mentioned the implementation of the “Huế - Capital of Áo dài Vietnam” project with various rich contents. Subsequently, the Provincial People's Committee approved this project, creating a legal framework for effectively promoting and honoring Huế áo dài, boosting economic and tourism development, affirming Huế’s áo dài in the international community, and developing the Huế - Áo Dài Capital brand name.