Vietnamese 'Ao dai' heritage club debuts in Belgium
A Vietnamese 'Ao dai' (traditional long dress) heritage club made its debut in Belgium on September 7, marking a significant milestone in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of Vietnam.
At the 'Ao dai' show taking place as part of the debut ceremony. (Photo: VNA)
Brussel (VNA) – A Vietnamese 'Ao dai' (traditional long dress) heritage club made its debut in Belgium on September 7, marking a significant milestone in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of Vietnam.
Held at the Vietnamese Embassy, the launching event offered a visual feast for attendees. It featured collections of 'Ao dai', which ranges from traditional to contemporary designs, showcasing the rich history and culture of Vietnam.
Highlights were a fashion show featuring amateur models and two special 'Ao dai' adorned with the flags of Vietnam and Belgium and displayed prominently against a backdrop of Vietnam’s ancient bronze drums. The special display served as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.
In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao highlighted the importance of the traditional costume in promoting the country’s image and people. 'Ao dai' is not only a costume but also an art work that represents the beauty and elegance of Vietnamese women, he said.
Huynh Cong My, President of the General Union of Vietnamese in Brussels (UGVB), said that the club was established to connect the Vietnamese community in Belgium and to promote 'Ao dai' to international friends. He expressed his wish to create a cultural space where people can explore, learn about, and appreciate the value of the costume.
Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency, Audrey Lhoest, a deputy head of Ixelles –🧸 a district with a significant Vietnamese population, praised the cultural significance of the debut and expressed her hope that the club will continue to grow and organise more activities in the future./.
The wearing of “ao dai” (traditional long dress) costume and tailoring craft of the dress has been recognised as a national intangible heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the fourth such recognition in the central province.
The Vietnamese Ao Dai Heritage Club recently made its debut in Hanoi. The event promotes traditional cultural values and serves as a platform for Ao Dai enthusiasts to connect, aiding in the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese cultural heritage. The ultimate goal is to create a dedicated cultural space for the Ao Dai and work towards submitting a dossier to UNESCO for its recognition as Vietnam's national costume.
Environmentally friendly designs of ao dai, a traditional costume of Vietnam, left impression at a recent diplomatic multicultural fundraising event in London.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
