Ao dai parade promotes Vietnamese culture to the world

THE HANOI TIMES — On a sunny weekend, overseas Vietnamese women in Slovakia's capital Bratislava marched in the graceful and flowing ao dai to demonstrate their love for motherland Vietnam, and promote Vietnamese culture to the world.

On the side of the romantic Danube, the colors of ao dai blended with traditional costumes of ethnic minorities like Tay, Thai and H'mong shined and impressed both locals and foreigners in Bratislava.

Every step, every smile, and every bow represented the Vietnamese culture, which is gentle, elegant, friendly, and proud.

From above, the parade was like a colorful painting that showcased Vietnamese cultures and traditions to the world.

"The parade is a valuable initiative to tighten the unity among overseas Vietnamese, and promote the image of a hospitable and rich-in-identity Vietnam to international friends," said Vietnamese Ambassador to Slovakia Pham Truong Giang.

Upcoming events of this kind will be held in Košice (Slovakia), Liberec (the Czech Republic), London (the UK), and Amsterdam (the Netherlands), he said.

These parades will feature various cultural activities to mark Vietnam's significant National Day, the diplomat added.

The parade is the opening activity for a series of ao dai events in many European capitals, initiated by the Union of Vietnamese Women's Associations in Europe.

"There are traditional music performances, vibrant lion dances, and booths displaying Vietnamese culture and cuisine, giving international friends the opportunity to fully experience the beauty of Vietnamese culture," said Giang.

Co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Slovakia and the Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club on August 24 (local time), the parade, titled Viet Phuc Bo Hanh, aimed to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day (September 2).

The event also honored the traditional beauty of ao dai, and highlighted the solidarity and national pride of the overseas Vietnamese communities.