Traditional Ao Dai Selected to be APEC Leaders' Costumes

Viet Nam has chosen the traditional attire of "ao dai" (long gown) and "khan dong" (turban) as the costume for APEC leaders during a photo-taking ceremony at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Ha Noi in November.

Though the style is now rarely seen in Vietnamese people's daily life, except for rituals or performances of folk songs, the costume had been an indispensable part of every Vietnamese person's wardrobe for nearly 10 centuries until the busy pace of modern life set in.

A set of the traditional costume comprises a long gown with slits on either side, white trousers and a turban, usually in black or brown made of cotton or silk, and wooden clogs or shoes.

There were strict dressing codes in feudal times. Costumes in yellow were reserved for the King. Those in purple and red served high ranking court officials, while dresses in blue were exclusively worn by petty court officials.

After the August Revolution, when the country devoted all of its strengths to the national defense and construction, the traditional set of "ao dai" and "khan dong" has gradually lost its position.

However, during ceremonies such as Tet (Lunar New Year), festivals and weddings in rural areas, many elderly people still don the traditional costumes to fulfill their duties as heads of the families and villages.

Nowadays, in the trend of integration and economic development, the Vietnamese people's daily wear is becoming more modern and suitable to life's quick tempo.

However, the reappearance of the long gown and turban at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting showed that the traditional costume is still not forgotten.