HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City will host itsannual festival to honour ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress),which is known as the symbol of feminine beauty in Vietnam, during March 3-25.  

The 2018 Ao Dai Festival, themed "I LoveVietnamese Ao Dai", will feature several cultural activities to promotetraditional cultural values as well as the beauty and grace of the costume,according to the city’s tourism authority, the event’s organiser.

The organiser will invite Miss Vietnam 2016 Do My Linh to bethe festival’s ambassador.

The event will open with a fashion show featuring designsfrom the latest collections by Vietnamese leading ao dai designerssuch as Si Hoang, Thuan Viet and Vo Viet Chung.

The show will also include music performances by pop starsand young singers, which will be held at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District1 on March 3.

A parade of more than 3,000 people in the traditional dresswill take place at the pedestrian street as well.

Several exhibitions will open at the Youth Cultural House,Women’s Cultural House, Museum of Southern Women, and General Science Libraryduring the festival.

They will showcase ao dai designs from the past tothe present, as well as photos of the costume.

When visiting these exhibitions, people will enjoy ao dai tailoringservices offered by skilled designers from more than 20 garment and textilecompanies and fashion houses as well as learn to make the costume.

The organiser will also set up a stall at Tan Son NhatInternational Airport to offer visitors free vouchers for ao dai tailoringand free tickets for the festival’s activities.

Dozens of workshops and talk shows on the dress will be heldat the city’s cultural houses and schools during the event.

Last year, the festival attracted more than 70,000 foreignand local visitors.-VNA