Since traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year 2024, many of Da Nang’s tourist attractions have been decorated with flowers and miniature landscapes, attracting many local residents and tourists wearing ‘ao dai’ (traditional Vietnamese costume) to check-in and pose for photos. In order to meet customer needs, the service of selling and renting ready-made or instant made-to-measure ‘ao dai’ at markets and stores is quite bustling.

A foreign tourist visiting the Han Market is quite interested in the Vietnamese ‘ao dai’ designs on display for sale and rent. Photo: DIEP NHU

Currently, places that many domestic and foreign tourists frequent to take photos are the Da Nang Cathedral (Tran Phu Street), the Love Bridge (Tran Hung Dao Street), the APEC Park, the Museum of Da Nang (Bach Dang Street), Linh Ung Pagoda (Son Tra Peninsula)

Wearing an ‘ao dai’ walking on Tran Phu Street, Ms. Kyung Mi, a South Korean tourist expressed: “I like Vietnamese ‘ao dai’ because it is not too difficult to wear and is suitable for Asian body types. Wearing traditional indigenous costumes and taking photos here will help me preserve many memories when I come to Da Nang”.

Together with a group of friends who came to take photos at the Son Tra Art Gallery in An Hai Tay Ward in the early days of March, Ms. Le Thi Ha Trang, a tourist from Binh Thuan Province in south-central Viet Nam said: “Instead of carrying a few sets of ‘ao dai’ in a heavy, messy suitcase, I choose an ‘ao dai’ rental service at my travel destination for convenience. Each place has beautiful scenery, I wear a different ‘ao dai’ to take photos without worrying about monotony with the same frame. Furthermore, choosing ‘ao dai’ also enhances the physical beauty of women and preserves Vietnamese cultural traditions. After my trip to Da Nang, I have many beautiful photos to post on my personal Facebook to show off them to my friends..."

Grasping current trends and tastes, traders in some markets with many tourists such as Han and Con markets invest in the fashion and garment industry, especially traditional ‘ao dai’. It was noted that in the 2nd floor area of the Han Market, around 9-10 a.m., there were bustling female customers walking around looking for ‘ao dai’ designs.

Just trying on the ready-made modern ‘ao dai’, Ms. LiSa, a South Korean tourist asked the seller in a Vietnamese accent: “Is it beautiful?”, then grinned. The saleswoman happily complimented, “Very beautiful”. So after looking in the mirror for a while, the South Korean tourist agreed to buy a set of ‘ao dai’ at VND400,000. Through research, every day the number of customers visiting and ordering ‘ao dai’ at the Han Market is quite large.

In order to make timely deliveries to customers, dozens of tailors at the market work at full capacity. On peak days, each counter has up to 30-40 customers place orders.  Shop owners must work with tailors from other shops to complete the ‘ao dai’ orders on schedule.

The instant tailoring service within one hour at the markets also comes from the needs of tourists who do not have much time during their stay in Da Nang. According to traders, the majority of customers buying ‘ao dai’ at the market are South Korean, Japanese and overseas Vietnamese tourists.

Ms. Thuy, the owner of Duc Thuy fabric stall at the Han Market, said that the ‘ao dai’ fabric samples here are very diverse with many colours, but usually customers like to choose chiffon, brocade, and silk because the material is soft and wrinkle-free unlike other fabrics.

Meanwhile, the price of fabric and sewing work is not too high, suitable for all customers. For example, chiffon and silk ‘ao dai’ fabric costs from VND250,000-VND450,000/set, and tailoring costs from VND150,000 - VND300,000/set. For customers who need to order urgently, within just 1 hour they will have a set of ‘ao dai’.

“Even though the sewing is urgent, the cutting and sewing techniques are still very aesthetically pleasing, visitors will be very satisfied. Given a fact that Han Market is a civilized commercial site, so we I always maintain our shops’ reputation to make tourists coming back to Da Nang," Ms. Thuy said.

Not only do they order ‘ao dai’ to suit their body shape to wear many times, many tourists also want to take photos at many tourist attractions with each set of ‘ao dai’.  Therefore, the service of renting ‘ao dai’ of all kinds gives them many opportunities to wear these outfits with many different frames at each check-in location.

Coming to Da Nang, it is not difficult for tourists to find shops that tailor and rent ‘ao dai’ at reasonable prices such as the Miss Saigon on Hoang Dieu Street, the Ao Dai Nang on Thai Phien Street, Thanh Hien Ao Dai on Ong Ich Khiem Street with rental price of about VND150.000 - VND350,000/set, depending on material, style, and all of them aer new or used many times.

Many ‘ao dai’ rental shops are also very accommodating to customers. When the customer want to have their outfits adjusted, they can ask the store’s staff to meet this demand to suit their body shape. Visitors just need to browse websites to choose a suitable set of ‘ao dai’ and then place an order, the shop owner will give pieces of advice and deliver it to them in a quick fashion.

As a fashion item, the stores also always update new ‘ao dai’ designs to help visitors feel excited when wearing impressive traditional Vietnamese costumes and satisfied while saving beautiful moments in Da Nang.

Reporting by DIEP NHU - Translating by A.THU