The series of activities for the 2024 HCM City Áo dài Festival will take place throughout March. VNA Photo

HCM CITY — Collective áo dài (traditional dress) performances, free áo dài giveaways, and discounted áo dài tailoring are some of the main activities taking place from now until the end of March in HCM City to celebrate the 10th Áo dài Festival in HCM City.

District 5 on March 28 organised the event "District 5 Merchants with Vietnamese Áo Dài" at An Đông Commercial Service Centre.

While 61 teams from trade unions participated in a Nón lá (traditional conical hat) decoration contest, nearly 20 teams joined the collective áo dài performance titled "The Beauty of District 5 merchants' áo dài".

The event will also feature 20 booths selling áo dài fabrics, ready-made áo dài and áo dài accessories.

Customers getting áo dài tailored will receive their garments immediately after a three-hour wait, and customers purchasing áo dài fabrics will receive discounts up to 50 per cent, or a special offer of buying two áo dài fabrics and getting one pair of pants free.

The “District 5 Merchants with Vietnamese áo dài" event, according to authorities, is organised with the aim of creating opportunities for exchange, business connections among merchants while introducing to residents and tourists business activities, shopping, tourist destinations, and longstanding traditional fabric markets and tailoring accessories of District 5.

Furthermore, this is also an opportunity to contribute to promoting economic and tourism development in the area.

Previously, the Women's Union of Bình Chánh District collaborated with the district's cultural centres and departments to organise an áo dài parade at the traditional area commemorating the 1968 Mậu Thân General Offensive and Uprising.

This activity attracted over 200 officials, union members and women who participated in walking and cycling around the revolutionary traditional area.

Tân Bình District also had over 300 officials and union members participating in a collective áo dài dance to the tune of "Việt Nam, a Wonderful Country" to celebrate the 10th HCM City Aó dài Festival.

According to Lê Trương Hiền Hòa, Deputy Director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, the festival is not only a remarkable cultural tourism product but also an important economic development driver for the city, contributing significantly to the growth of tourism and bringing substantial revenue to local businesses.

The 10th HCM City Áo dài Festival with the theme 'I Love Vietnamese Áo dài’ in 2024 is organised with a diverse range of highly interactive activities with the community.

“Visitors to the festival will have the chance to admire numerous outstanding áo dài collections from 30 leading áo dài designers nationwide, along with the participation of 22 artists, celebrities and beauty queens, among others as image ambassadors for the festival," Hoà said.

The series of activities for the 2024 HCM City Áo dài Festival will take place throughout March at locations such as Hồ Chí Minh Statue Park, Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street, Lam Sơn Park, Youth Cultural House, Áo dài Museum, Sài Gòn River Thủ Đức Park, historical-cultural relics and tourist destinations across all districts and Thủ Đức City. VNS