Hanoi (VNA) - Aspecial ao dai (traditional dress) collection by designer VuViet Ha, inspired by roses to honour Vietnamese women’s beauty, was presentedat the opening ceremony of a rose festival in Hanoi on October 14.

Hundreds of visitors rushedto the festival at Thang Long Rose Park, the first of its kind in the capital,which runs until October 22.

Dao ManhHung, the park’s director, said the event will help participants learn aboutthe history of roses and bring together rose lovers.

“We organised the event onoccasion of Vietnamese women’s day on October 20 to honour the beauty of women,which is often compared to roses. We hope the festival is a meaningful event tohonour women, half the world’s population, and helps connect nature lovers inthe beautiful autumn season,” Hung said.

Three hundred different species of roses are on display at the rose park locatedin Hanoi’s Thanh Tri district. Located in Huynh Cung village, the park has longbeen a favoured destination for rose lovers in the capital.

With a total area of around45,000sq.m, it is the largest park of its kind in the city and houses thousandsof rose plants.

At the week-long event,visitors can discover various varieties of roses, enjoy rose tea from Bulgaria,love songs performed by the capital’s street artists and see hundreds of photosof roses and women on display at the festival.

Experts will share with visitors stories about the origins of roses andinstruct visitors on how to take care of rose plants.

Awards will be given tohouses with the most beautiful rose-decorated balconies.

Various kinds of roseplants, souvenirs made from roses and cosmetics from Bulgaria are being sold atthe event at discounted prices.

“Queen Rose” Bui Thi ThanhHuong, who won the title at the first-ever Bulgarian Rose Festival in Hanoi lastyear, sponsored by the Bulgarian Embassy, came to the festival to share storiesabout the secret of preserving love in marriage.

Ngo Ngoc Toan, chairman ofTam Hiep commune of Thanh Tri district said the region is proud of this rosepark which was created by Hung who was born in the region.

 “We will createfavourable conditions to encourage Hung to enlarge this park, so it can becomean interesting eco-tourism destination, creating a new tourism attraction fornature lovers in Hanoi,” he said.-VNA