Special place in travelers’ hearts
According to Nguyen Xuan Hoa, a researcher and former Director of the Department of Culture and Information of Thua Thien Hue province, the Hue Ao Dai first appeared and became the official outfit for both men and women under the Vo Vuong Nguyen Phuc Khoat in the 1740s. Hue is considered as the birth place of the Vietnamese Ao Dai. Over time, the Ao Dai also contributed to the characteristic of Hue culture, researcher Hoa said.
The Hue Ao Dai has created a unique feature for cultural and tourist activities. Especially, while Hue still has a lack of tourism products, the Ao Dai stands out and has enough potential to become a tourist product. From the industry of making an ao dai, drawing an Ao Dai, through ten Ao Dai festivals, it can be said that Hue has the potential for Ao Dai stage art.
When the Ao Dai becomes a tourism product, the Ao Dai business will also develop further, contributing to the conservation and promotion of the Ao Dai's value, while creating added value for tourism activities. Designer Minh Hanh said that it’s not a surprise that Hue has a "special position". History has left Hue a "unique heritage" in the subconscious of Vietnamese people. Up to now, when Vietnamese people talk about Hue, they always imagine a long purple dress, long hair and a non la (palm-leaf conical hat). It’s a typical feature of Hue women in the heart of domestic and foreign tourists ".
Building a worthy strategy
Therefore, the Hue Ao Dai brand should be built on a worthy and pervasive strategy. According to Hue cultural experts and researchers, it’s essential to understand that the Ao Dai is a consumer product with cultural symbolic value. Therefore, when developing a strategy to develop theproduct line, it is necessary to focus on the value of the indigenous cultural identity, creating persuasive products of commercial value, while creating jobs for workers. Thua Thien Hue Province should organise more promotional activities to honour the beauty of Hue Ao Dai. It is necessary to encourage the organisation of Hue Ao Dai shows and sell Ao Dai products. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the quality of the Hue Ao Dai Festival and connect the Ao Dai Festival during each Hue Festival with a unique space of monuments.
Many people think that Thua Thien Hue should have a separate space for Ao Dai, such as a street dedicated to the Ao Dai, a ceremonial centre full of functional spaces related to Ao Dai, or a worthy Ao Dai performance centre. According to Dr. Tran Dinh Hang, Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Culture and Arts in Hue, the Hue traditional costume centre is also considered as a cultural and tourist space, which includes a museum space for traditional vestments; product display spaces; and production space. Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the display space, shop for unique products, practice and experience in the production space.
It is absolutely essential to quickly establish a Hue Ao Dai production and trading association to register a collective trademark for Hue Ao Dai and become a focal point for long-term management and development of trademarks for products. According to Le Dang Tho, Director of the Vietnam Fund for Supporting Technological Creations (VIFOTEC), the localities need to register for the protection and development of collective marks for the product which will open up opportunities for the Hue Ao Dai Association to approach famous designers around the world to share experiences, transfer technology, bringing great economic benefits and promote the tourism brand of Hue.
Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Thua Thien Hue Province Ho Thang said that, currently, Hue City's leaders are calling for investment in Hue Ao Dai performance space associated with the experiences of making the ao dai or a standard Hue Ao Dai production and trading centre. At the same time, the city has supported the implementation of the scheme on creating, managing and developing the Hue Ao Dai collective brand for Ao Dai products in Thua Thien Hue province with the following objectives: To clarify the characteristics of the Hue Ao Dai; the creation and protection of collective marks; building a system of tools for managing, using, communicating and promoting Hue Ao Dai collective brand, as well as building a model of organisation, management and exploitation of the trademark in practice.
