A festival of ao dai, the national dress of Vietnamese women, kicked off on March 2 at the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
The opening ceremony
of the ao dai festival in Ho Chi Minh City.
On the opening night, the audience were treated to 15 unique ao
dai collections created
by renowned Vietnamese designers as well as several from the
Republic of Korea, who are the first foreign designers to appear at the event.
Running for two weeks, the
festival will feature an ao dai performance contest, an ao
dai parade, an online photo contest on the theme of ao dai sand
a drawing competition on ao dai, among others.
The activities will take
place at various locations throughout the city including Nguyen Hue and Bui
Vien pedestrian streets of, the Youth Cultural House, the Women Cultural House,
the War Remnants Museum, the City Post Office and other institutions.
With the participation of
hundreds of ao dai tailors and shops, the festival is expected
to showcase the outstanding beauty of ao dais to both local
residents and visitors.
In his speech at the opening
ceremony, HCMC Vice Chairman Le Thanh Liem stated that the festival will offer
the public and visitors an enjoyable experience about the beauty of Vietnamese
culture.
The festival is scheduled to last until March 17.
Source: NDO
Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.
Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.
The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.
For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.
Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.
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