More than 200 ao dai (traditional long dress) tailor and accessory shops in Ho Chi Minh City will offer 10-50 percent discount to clients throughout March in response to the fifth Ao Dai festival scheduled for March
A representative from the organising board said the event is expected to encourage local residents and tourists to wear ao dai, thereby helping maintain traditional culture.
With the theme “Ho Chi Minh City Charming Ao Dai” and the message “I love Vietnamese ao dai”, the festival will be co-organised by the municipal Tourism Department and the Women’s Union.
Aiming to attract 80,000 visitors, it features 16 main activities, including an opening ceremony, which will stage 13 collections on the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street on March 3, and a mass performance of 3,000 people wearing ao dai on March 4.
As part of the festival, a forum on the charm of ao dai is scheduled for March 8 to help international friends understand the culture and history behind the dress.
Talk shows inspiring youths on the dress will take place at several schools in the city.
Spaces for local tourism promotion on Nguyen Hue street, an ao dai exhibition and a conference on the history of ao dai are among other highlights of the event.