“The Essence of Viet Nam” – Portraying Aspirations of Vietnamese Women for Further Development in New Era

The event was attended by Madam. Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Comunist Party of Viet Nam To Lam; Madam. Nguyen Thi Thanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; Madam. Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Party Central Committee, President of the Vietnam Women's Union; Ms. Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Chief of Office, Party Central Committee Office; Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice President- Secretary General of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee, along with 250 leaders of the Party and State, ministries, agencies, the Fatherland Front, central organizations, and Hanoi city; ambassadors and their spouses; international organizations, and talented designers from all three regions of the country, as well as a large number of women's union members.

Madam . Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary To Lam (center), along with female leaders attending the event.

Ambassadors of various countries and representatives of international organizations attending the event.

"The Essence of Viet Nam" is a special Artistic Ao Dai Show aimed at celebrating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South of Viet Nam and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025) and other major national holidays. In addition, the program also aims to honor the value of the Ao Dai in life, culture, and society; to inspire love, pride, and the responsibility to preserve and promote the heritage of the Ao Dai and to promote Vietnamese culture, the country, and its people, especially Vietnamese women, to a broader domestic and international audience.

In her opening speech, Madam. Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Communist Party, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, stated that Implementing Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW of the 11th Party Central Committee on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable development of the nation, and aiming to promote the unique values of Ao Dai, since 2019, the Vietnam Women’s Union has launched and  co-organized with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism a series of events under the theme “Ao Dai – Vietnamese Cultural Heritage.” These efforts aim to have Ao Dai recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, and further, to seek UNESCO recognition as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Apart from the legal one, one of the other key UNESCO's evaluation criteria is the vibrancy of the heritage within its community.

Madam. Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Communist Party, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, delivers the opening speech at the event.

The enduring image of the spouse of the General Secretary and female leaders of the Party and State regularly wearing Ao Dai at important events both domestically and internationally has significantly promoted the value of Ao Dai and affirmed Viet Nam’s cultural identity in the eyes of international friends.

Together with the flow of history, the Ao Dai has become an endless source of inspiration for theater, painting, poetry, music, and has truly become a distinctive cultural product, a symbol of Vietnamese cultural essence, embodying the beauty of Vietnamese women and carrying the soul of the Vietnamese people. Continuing the journey to make the values of the Ao Dai a world cultural heritage, the "The Essence of Vietnam" Artistic Ao Dai Show is a harmonious blend of music, dance, and fashion, vividly portraying the beauty of Ao Dai and the aspirations of Vietnamese women in the new era.

At the program, the creative heritage Aoo Dai collections of designers shaped by the " Start-up from Ao Dai" program were showcased under three key themes: The Quintessence of Vietnamese Ao Dai, A Journey Around Vietnam, and The Essence of Vietnam. This highlighted the traditional beauty of the Vietnamese Ao Dai while still carrying the breath of modern times. In particular, the highlight of the show was the Ao Dai Collection featuring the VWU’s logo, designed by Do Trinh Hoai Nam. Inspired by the dove symbol of the VWU’s logo — representing peace, freedom, and ambition — each Ao Dai in this collection depicts graceful doves in flight, conveying messages of faith, aspiration, and the strength of Vietnamese women.

The creative heritage Ao Dai collections showcased at the program by designers who have grown through the "Start-up from Ao Dai" program have evoked many emotions among the delegates.

Through this meaningful event, the VWU hopes to inspire and spread positive messages of love, national pride, and Vietnamese culture to the wider public, contributing to the global recognition of Ao Dai as cultural heritage. At the same time, to honor outstanding Ao Dai designers representing more than 10,000 women's union members who have grown through the "Start-up from Ao Dai" training program jointly implemented by the Vietnam Women's Union and designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam from 2023 to 2025.

Madam. Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary To Lam (center), along with President of the Vietnam Women's Union Nguyen Thi Tuyen (second from left), Madam. Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Chief of Office, Party Central Committee Office (first from left), Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union Tran Lan Phuong (right), and Áo Dài designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam, pose for a commemorative photo\