PANO - The third Ao Dai (traditional long dress of the Vietnamese people) Festival, themed “Ho Chi Minh City – the City of Ao Dai”, was officially kicked off on March 8th in the city by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

The event aims to honour the beauty of the traditional Vietnamese long dress, making contributions to preserving and promoting the nation’s traditional cultural values.

The opening ceremony impressed the participants with an impressive show of Ao Dai by around 1,000 students.

During the two-week long festival, a wide variety of activities such as an exhibition entitled "Ao Dai Through the Ages", a fair, a beauty contest, a drawing contest, an Ao dai designing contest, and an artistic program will be organized at museums, cultural houses, and parks across the city.

Locals are also encouraged to wear Ao dai in their daily life throughout this month.

Translated by Hoai An