Vietnamese, foreigners in traditional costumes bring Hanoi streets to life

The event was part of the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi, which runs through Sunday.

Music, drums, and traditional performances drew tens of thousands of people to the area around Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, turning the city center into an open-air meeting place for cultures from around the world.

Vietnamese and international participants in traditional costumes took part in a parade, which began at the headquarters of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on Hang Dau Street, passed Ba Kieu Temple, and ended at the main stage of the square.

The parade involved more than 1,000 participants.

Apart from costume displays, residents, and visitors were treated to a wide range of musical and art performances.

The flowing colors of traditional Vietnamese ao dai (long gown), combined with the distinctive costumes of other nations, created a vivid cultural tableau in the center of Hanoi, showcasing both diversity and national identity.

International artistic troupes brought an equally rich array of cultural heritage to the celebration, including traditional Persian music, folk dances from Mexico and Peru, traditional performing arts from the United Arab Emirates, and taekwondo demonstrations from South Korea.

They were joined by Vietnamese lion and dragon dance performers, artisans, traditional artists from Hanoi, local women, members of the Vietnamese Ao Dai Cultural Club, as well as models and professional performers.

Luu Bao Khanh, a 15-year-old from Hanoi, who was among the young participants, said that she was delighted to have the opportunity to introduce the Vietnamese cultural heritage to international friends.

Hanoi seeks to remain a destination of global cultures

Speaking at the festival, Pham Tuan Long, director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said the significance of the event extended beyond the diversity of its art forms and costumes.

The festival created an open space where different cultures could meet, interact, share, and respect one another, he said.

“Traditional Vietnamese ao dai and the traditional costumes of different countries, music, folk dances, and performing arts are all present on the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake,” he stressed.

“Art has been brought out of the stage and into everyday life, enabling residents and visitors to become part of the festival.”

In an increasingly connected world, culture and art possess a special power to bring people closer together without requiring them to speak the same language, he noted.

Such exchanges can foster empathy without erasing differences.

Every nation has its own identity, and every culture has its own beauty.

When those differences are brought together in a spirit of openness and mutual respect, they enrich the cultural tapestry of humanity.

As a city recognized for peace, Hanoi aims to continue serving as a destination for cultural encounters, people-to-people exchanges, and international connections.