The “Ao Dai and Music” art show, held on the stage along the banks of the Perfume River on the evening of June 20th, marked the closing of the 2025 Hue Community Ao Dai Week. The event unfolded in a space rich in identity, emotion, and deep affection for Ao dai Vietnam.
The “Ao Dai and Music” art show on the stage along the banks of the Perfume River
“Ao Dai and Music” took place in a dreamy riverside setting, right in front of Quoc Hoc – Hue High School for the Gifted, a rendezvous point for lovers of art and traditional attire. The show was jointly organized by Hue Monuments Conservation Center and Hue Royal Traditional Art Theater. It left a lasting impression on thousands in attendance and wrapped up the journey of the 2025 Hue Community Ao Dai Week – a highlight of both Hue Festival and National Tourism Year.
The show was elaborately choreographed, blended music and fashion, presenting a vibrant image of the evolution of Ao dai and its spread in the flow of Vietnamese culture. From romantic songs by Pham Duy, Trinh Cong Son, Cung Tien, Hoang Thi Tho… to dramatic acts, dances, and ao dai collections. Everything fused together to recount the ao dai’s journey attached to the Vietnamese soul across generations.
Opening the program was the musical performance “Tuoi Ngoc”, a nostalgic piece by Pham Duy, a composer, staged by artists from Hue Royal Traditional Art Theater, Unity dance troupe, and the young models of Hana Modelkids. The lyrics “xin cho em nhieu them nhung chuyen xe em dem” (“may I have more gentle rides”) carried the audience back to a sweet and innocent childhood.
Performances were elaborately staged, blending music and fashion
Interwoven throughout the show were ao dai collections from renowned Hue-based designers. Each collection carried a message and expressed a unique cultural, historical, and emotional aspect of Hue.
Viet Bao, a designer, presented a collection inspired by royal motifs – a crystallization of traditional aesthetic ideals. Ceramic patterns, architectural elements, and antiques were harmoniously arranged on silk, creating gentle yet evocative ao dai like a whisper from the past:
“Diu dang la diu dang oi, buoc di cham cham doi toi sang mua…”
(“Gentle, oh gentle one, do walk slowly, and wait for me…”)
Doan Trang, another designer, introduced a bridal ao dai collection – symbolizing the sacred bonds on a couple’s big day. Pairs of models in traditional wedding attire evoked familiar images of faithful, tender, and enduring Vietnamese love.
Following were colorful collections: “Non Nuoc Sac Son” (“Beloved Nation”) by the designer Nhu Nguyen; “Co Phuc” (“Ancient Dress”) by Quang Hoa, embodying the spirit of “ancient royal grace”; and “Hue Tinh Khoi” (“Pure Hue”) by Tran Thien Khanh, affirming that ao dai is not only a traditional symbol but also a modern, practical garment that enhances the beauty and confidence of Vietnamese women today.
Models presenting an ao dai collection inspired by royal patterns by Viet Bao
Minh Thao, a student at Hue University of Arts, shared after the show: “I felt so proud. Ao dai isn’t just tradition, it’s a fashion icon that stands alongside major global cultures. Today’s designs both honored the past and made us feel close, like something we’d want to wear every day”.
Music was an essential part of the event. The song “Co Nu Sinh Dong Khanh” (“The female student of Dong Khanh High School”) echoed alongside a scene of schoolgirls in white ao dai walking their bicycles after class, moving the audience with simple moments etched deep in the memories of many generations. “Ha Trang” (“White Summer”) by Trinh Cong Son, a son of Hue, was reenacted with flowing ao dai catching all the summer light. The lyrics “Ao xua du nhau cung xin bac dau goi mai ten nhau” (“Even if our old ao dai is worn, let us call each other’s names until our hair turns white”) recalled steadfast love.
The show also featured royal court music pieces “Kim Tien, Xuan Phong, Long Ho”, performed by Mai Nga, a zither artist, and a group of models, transporting viewers back to the golden age of the former capital.
The song “Ao Dai Oi”, already familiar to the 90s generation, was performed in a lively and closely segment, where the ao dai appeared in everyday life, in street corners and daily moments.
The program concluded with “Ao Dai Viet Nam”, against a glowing backdrop of lights, with flowing ao dai “danced” beside the Perfume River, a heartfelt farewell to the inspiring 2025 Hue Community Ao Dai Week.
Thousands of audience members enjoying the performance
According to the organizers, this year’s Ao Dai Week featured 15 diverse activities: from the opening ceremony, traditional tailoring exhibitions, the “Ao Dai Passing down the Streets” cycling parade, the “Ao Dai Back to the Roots” journey, artistic programs, school forums, to a tribute ceremony for Nguyen Dynasty lords closely tied to the history of ao dai’s formation and development.
Ever since Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat issued an edict on attire in Dang Trong (The Inner Realm), ao dai has developed over hundreds of years to become a cultural ambassador, a national pride, and a never-ending source of artistic inspiration. For Hue, once an imperial capital and still a guardian of refined Vietnamese culture, ao dai is not only heritage, but also the embodiment of the soul of the land.
“Ao Dai and Music” composed a special symphony, closing the celebration yet opening new inspiration for the journey to share the heritage of ao dai Vietnam with both local and international audiences.
Source: Hue News – news.huengaynay.vn- Jun 22, 2025
