Dr Nguyễn Đức Trí, an expert from the HCM City University of Economics is highlighting the value of áo dài at a seminar held last week at the Áo Dài Museum in HCM City. Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

 HCM CITY — Cultural experts have hailed áo dài, the traditional Vietnamese tunic, for the extent to which it honours the intangible values of humanity. 

Of the 13 UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritages in Việt Nam, seven were closely related to the garment, the experts told a seminar titled Áo Dài and Cultural Heritage held at the Áo Dài Museum recently in HCM City. 

Huỳnh Ngọc Vân, director of the museum said numerous áo dài models had been collected and showcased at many exhibitions and seminars since 2018.

They had helped underline the garment’s role as a significant intangible cultural heritage and gradually garner public interest, she said.

“Feedback from these exhibitions and seminars are beneficial to the conservation and promotion of the áo dài.”

Artist Xuân Hoà, who heads the Quan Họ Kinh Bắc Club, said áo dài was the main costume used in folk arts all over the country.

"It is essential for authorities to recognise the art of tailoring áo dài as a national intangible cultural heritage in future," he added. 

Dr Nguyễn Đức Trí, director of the HCM City University of Economics’s Institute of Tourism, said referring to the garment, “These are invaluable treasures that cannot be forgotten.”

Tourism should not only be about exploiting traditional cultures but finding ways to revive and make it meaningful to locals’ lives, he added. 

Authorities need to collate all information about intangible cultural heritages and create interesting tourism products to educate Vietnamese about their traditional values, he added. 

The experts have been for many years seeking the recognition  áo dài as a national intangible cultural heritage.

They said the traditional dress offers a comprehensive evaluation of history. Through its function and the habit of using, áo dài features the social and cultural value, art and cultural identity of the Vietnamese tradition. — VNS