Artist Dang Thi Thu An is one of the prominent faces among the promising generation of 1980s artists from Hue. With works deeply characterized by traditional culture, especially depicting women figures and áo dài, she has contributed to creating a unique impression in contemporary Vietnamese painting.

“The fact that “Knowledge of Tailoring and Wearing Hue Ao Dai” having just been enlisted as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage not only is an honor and pride, but at the same time, affirms that Hue Ao Dai always carries the traditional cultural values of the nation and has a strong vitality throughout history,” emphasized Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, Director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports when sharing the story about the new recognition of it with Thua Thien Hue Weekly.

For Hue Ancient Capital, Ao dai is a unique cultural heritage that has been formed, developed, and existed for over 300 years. In recent years, Thua Thien Hue has launched and promoted the revival of the traditional ao dai (including both male and female versions) in connection with the implementation of “Hue - The capital of Ao dai Vietnam” project. Ao dai has been integrated into daily life, cultural festivals, sports events, and flag-raising ceremonies in offices.

On the afternoon of June 26, High School for Gifted Students of the University of Sciences, Hue University held an awarding ceremony for the contest “Designing 12 zodiac animal stamps on the Ao dai in 2024”. The contest aims to respond to the Ao dai Week 2024 activity, and, at the same time, create opportunities for members of the school's stamp club to learn about the traditional 12 zodiac animal stamps.

As a meaningful highlight to attract tourists and people during the holidays of April 30 and May 1, the space to experience cuisine, poetry, and Ao Dai within the framework of Hue Traditional Cuisine Week 2024 at Thuong Bac Park takes place from April 27 to May 1, providing a place to have fun, experience, and enjoy regional cuisine throughout the country, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere for the long holiday.

My childhood was marked with the image of my mother stroking her ao dai flat before going out (Ao dai is traditional costume for women (and men) in Vietnam.) At that time, cloth produced in the country was cheap; my mother had many ao dai of different colors tailored. She wore ao dai everywhere she went on every occasion.

Dozens of traditional Ao Dai display booths, along with accompanying accessories and famous art products from Hue, were recently exhibited at An Dinh Palace (Phan Dinh Phung Street, Hue City) on the afternoon of August 1st.

The antique architectural constructions, the bridges which are inherent with the history of the Capital, as well as the traditional royal dances, or just simply the dragon boats, paper flower lanterns, etc., were described innocently but gracefully and meticulously and prettily on Ao dai by the children.

Ao Dai, no matter how beautiful and culturally significant it is, must also incorporate fashion elements and be adapted to fit the modern era in order to remain relevant. How can we attract the attention of the young generation to the traditional Ao Dai, so they will wear it proudly and honor its beauty and cultural heritage? This is not a task that can be achieved overnight.

During a recent tourism survey in Malaysia, Hue tourism businesses chose to wear the traditional Ao Dai when working with partners.