Thua Thien – Hue (VNA) – An art programme featuring “ao dai” (traditional long dress) collections by 12 famous designers across Vietnam took place on September 23 evening at the Huong River Theater in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.
The “Hue Ao Dai Festival 2024” programme, themed "Linh Phung" (Phoenix), was one of the highlights of the Autumn Festival within the framework of Hue Festival 2024.
The “ao dai” collections were inspired by the image of phoenix in architectural decoration and royal costumes of the Nguyen Dynasty combined with the beauty of modern Vietnamese ao dai.
Le Quang Tu, the programme's general director, said that the most special feature of this year's ao dai festival was the combination of all art forms including singing, dancing, music and fashion revolving around the theme of the phoenix, one of the four sacred animals together with dragon, unicorn, and turtle.
The programme was expected to spread the message of appreciating and spreading the traditional cultural values of the nation as well as the beauty and value of the traditional dress.
In Vietnamese culture, the image of phoenix appeared very early, becoming a familiar pattern in the traditional architecture, sculpture and decoration.
In Hue – the capital of Vietnam's last feudal dynasty, the entire wooden architecture above the main gate of Ngo Mon in the Imperial Citadel is called Ngu Phung (Five Phoenixes) Pavilion. Vietnamese people believe that the appearance of the phoenix is a sign of good luck, marking the beginning of national peace and prosperity, and people's well-being./.
