Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival 2020 invites public to “live in heritage”
This November, Hanoi turns into a runway of heritage as the Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival celebrates Vietnam’s timeless elegance through parades, music and culture in full bloom.
THE HANOI TIMES — The capital is preparing to transform into a stage of color and grace as the 2025 Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival returns from November 7 to 9, celebrating Vietnam’s traditional costume and promoting the city’s cultural tourism.
Held at the Hanoi Museum, Tu Liem Ward, and along the Hoan Kiem Lake walking street, the three-day event will offer locals and visitors an immersive cultural experience featuring the beauty of the Ao Dai, traditional music, and Vietnamese folk games.
Nguyen Tran Quang, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, officially announced the 2025 Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival, highlighting its role in promoting the city’s cultural heritage and tourism. Photo: Jenna Duong
Nguyen Tran Quang, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said the festival aims to strengthen Hanoi’s image as a “Safe, Friendly, Quality, and Attractive” destination while honoring the Ao Dai as a symbol of Vietnamese beauty and identity.
The event will open on November 7 at the Hanoi Museum with the performance “Hanoi Ao Dai – Shining the Quintessence of Heritage,” launching a weekend of art, fashion, and tradition.
Exhibition booths will feature exquisite designs and accessories from renowned Ao Dai designers across Vietnam’s regions, highlighting the diversity and creativity behind the national costume.
Deputy Director Quang said that the Ao Dai has accompanied the Vietnamese people through generations, embodying both national pride and cultural refinement.
“It has become a national cultural heritage and a ‘tourism ambassador,’ introducing Vietnamese culture to international friends,” he said.
The 4th annual festival has become a cultural highlight in Hanoi, marking one of the city’s most anticipated events at the end of the year.
Visitors will enjoy an array of interactive experiences, from embroidery and Ao Dai painting workshops to craft sessions of beautiful bamboo dragonflies. Traditional melodies, including ca tru and quan ho, will fill the space, offering a living soundtrack to the city’s vibrant heritage.
Besides, the children’s performance “I Love Hanoi” and the final round of the “Ao Dai – Connecting Heritage” design contest will spotlight young creativity and passion for tradition.
The Ao Dai Parade around Hoan Kiem Lake, one of the festival’s most anticipated highlights, will take place on the afternoon of November 8. The parade will pay tribute to the founder of Trach Xa Ao Dai sewing village and feature the spectacular program “Bach Hoa Bo Hanh,” with 1,000 participants dressed in Ao Dai and traditional costumes.
The procession promises to transform the heart of Hanoi into a vibrant, living canvas of color, elegance and pride.
Pham Thi Thanh Huong, Permanent Vice President of the Hanoi Women’s Union, introduced the Ao Dai performance featuring 350 women representing the capital.
Pham Thi Thanh Huong, Permanent Vice President of the Hanoi Women’s Union, shared that 350 women representing diverse walks of life, from entrepreneurs to students, will join the special I performance “Women of the Capital Integrate and Develop,” a tribute to the resilience and grace of Vietnamese women.
To enhance the festival’s appeal, the Hanoi Department of Tourism will launch the “Touching Autumn in Hanoi” program, a double-decker bus tour where visitors wear Ao Dai while exploring iconic landmarks, capturing the city’s poetic autumn charm.
Building on the success of past editions, this year’s festival continues to affirm Hanoi’s role as a center of Vietnamese cultural heritage. “We hope the Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival will further promote the image of Hanoi and Vietnam to international visitors,” said of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Nguyen Tran Quang.
