An elegant symbol of Vietnamese culture

The image of the Ao dai (Vietnam’s traditional long dress) is often associated with images of the country and is a beautiful symbol of Vietnamese culture.
Bich Hue Boivineau, wife of the French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, shared her feelings on Vietnam’s traditional long dress, on the eve of the first ever “non-border Ao dai festival” scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21.
She said that she and her husband and two children agreed to take part in the festival because it is a charitable cultural event that aims to raise funds for 70 poor households in Phong Dien district in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. The funds will also be used to buy a boat for pupils in Quang Trach district in the central province of Quang Binh to go to school.
“One interesting thing when we wear the Ao dai is that it highlights the strong points and hides the weak points of our body,” she said, adding that women in Ao dai look graceful, shapely and elegant.
She said she owned a big collection of Vietnam’s traditional long dresses and wears them on both festive and normal days.
When presenting the Ao dai to international friends, we will take a variety of dresses to portray the non-borders characteristic of the Vietnamese traditional dress, Bich Hue Boivineau noted.
The festival, organised by the Vietnam Long Dress Association, will draw the participation of representatives from the consulate generals of ten countries, including the US, France, Russia, Germany, Cuba, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia and Laos as well as five foreign organisations and businesses operating in Vietnam.