Attending the ceremony was Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, along with leaders from various departments, representatives from fashion embroidery associations, Ao Dai designers in Hue, and the Dinh Lang Viet group from Hanoi.
This event is one of the activities in response to the Hue Festival 2024 and part of the Summer Festival activities.
The program consisted of two parts:
1. Incense offering at Truong Thai Tomb (the tomb of Lord Vu Vuong Nguyen Phuc Khoat) at 6:00 AM.
2. Procession, incense offering, and floral tributes at the Trieu To Temple, The To Temple, and the Hue Imperial City at 7:30 AM.
Lord Vu Vuong Nguyen Phuc Khoat and Emperor Minh Mang made significant contributions by initiating and implementing reforms in court attire and costumes in the Southern region and throughout the entire Dai Nam country in history. While Lord Vu Vuong Nguyen Phuc Khoat is credited with the creation of the Ao Dai, Emperor Minh Mang popularized it, making it a widely used costume from North to South, with Hue being the capital of the Ao Dai. The costume reforms under Lord Vu Vuong Nguyen Phuc Khoat and Emperor Minh Mang not only focused on appearance but also reflected the spirit of cultural unity and independence. Consequently, the Ao Dai became the official attire for all social classes, rich in cultural identity, and officially became the national costume of Vietnam.
Through the many ups and downs of history, the Ao Dai has always been regarded as an indispensable traditional costume for the people of Hue. For women, the Ao Dai enhances modesty and gentleness, highlighting the grace and elegance of Hue's girls, while for men, it exudes solemnity and respect, shaping the soul and character of men. Additionally, the Ao Dai embodies unique values of ethics and aesthetics, serving as a vibrant cultural heritage and a unique tourism product of the ancient capital of Hue that needs to be preserved and promoted in contemporary contexts. This is also why Hue should invest in research to restore its status and brand as the ‘Capital of Ao Dai’ of Vietnam, especially as we strive to implement Resolution 54-NQ/TW of the Politburo to build and develop Thua Thien Hue into a distinctive heritage urban area and a centrally governed city based on preserving and promoting heritage and traditional cultural values.