Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Colin Lowther. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Vu Ngoc Anh stands on a performance stage. Bright lights shine on her from above. Hundreds of people are watching her. They are interested in her beautiful clothing. She is wearing a kind of traditional Vietnamese clothing called an Ao Dai or Ao Dai.
Voice 2
Ngoc Anh walks slowly across the stage. Her Ao Dai moves gently side to side. This is because it is made of soft silk – a light, flowing material. The Ao Dai is two pieces of clothing. The bottom part is loose trousers or pants. The top is a long, fitted shirt or gown. Ngoc Anh’s trousers are white. Her gown is a golden, yellow color. It covers her arms, down to her wrists. And it fits tightly around her chest and neck. It is long and hangs almost to the ground. The gown is split at the sides. It opens on the sides from her waist to the floor. As Ngoc Anh walks across the floor, she looks as if she is floating.
Voice 1
On that night, Vu Ngoc Anh won the 2012 Miss Vietnam Ao Dai competition. The judges thought she looked the most beautiful in her Ao Dai. It is a great honor to achieve the title “Miss Ao Dai”. This is because the Ao Dai is more than just traditional Vietnamese clothing. It is a symbol of the history and beauty of the Vietnamese culture and people. Today’s Spotlight is on the Vietnamese Ao Dai.
Voice 2
The Ao Dai has a long history in Vietnam. Experts believe forms of the Ao Dai have existed for hundreds of years. It is part of Vietnamese identity. But that does not mean it has stayed the same. The people making Ao Dais have used their designs to react to changes in culture. At different times, French or Chinese culture has influenced Ao Dai designs. Sometimes people changed their designs to be more like other cultures. At other times, people designed Ao Dais to show that Vietnam was a free and independent country.
Voice 1
During the 1930s, one of the most famous designers was Nguyen Cat Tuong. He was also known as Le Mur in French. He made a new design that was particularly for women. He was influenced by some of the new French clothing. But what he designed was not French. Instead, it was a new, modern version of the Ao Dai. Before, the Ao Dai was loose and plain. But the new design was more fitted.
Voice 2
This modern Ao Dai became very popular in parts of Vietnam from 1960-1975. After 1975, Vietnamese women did not wear the Ao Dai as often. The Vietnamese economy was struggling. Most people did not think paying for a nice Ao Dai was necessary.
Voice 1
However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Ao Dai became popular again. In 1989, a Ho Chi Minh City newspaper began the first “Miss Ao Dai” competition. Sixteen thousand people attended the competition. But this was only the beginning of the Ao Dai’s new popularity. From Ho Chi Minh City, Miss Ao Dai competitions spread around the world. They went to places like Long Beach, California in the United States and the city of Toronto, in Canada. Today, there are many countries that have large populations of Vietnamese immigrants. When these people moved out of Vietnam, they brought the Ao Dai with them.
Voice 2
Originally, each woman’s Ao Dai was made just for her. Ao Dai makers sewed each Ao Dai using only a sharp needle, thread and her hands. A woman visited her Ao Dai maker many times to make sure her Ao Dai fit perfectly. Today, factories produce Ao Dais in large numbers. These Ao Dais are sold in Vietnam and around the world. The export of the Ao Dai has influenced global clothing designers as far away as Paris, France and New York City.
Voice 1
Even now the Ao Dai continues to change. Women want different things from their clothing. They want to keep the Ao Dai. But they want to react to changes in global clothing as well. Still, wearing the Ao Dai has special meaning. Kimlai Yingling is a Vietnamese American writer. On her website, she explained what the Ao Dai meant to her as a child.
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“I remember when I was a little girl. I would walk into my mom and dad’s rooms. Behind the door hung long pieces of fabric. I knew these beautiful pieces of material were going to be made into Ao Dais…I remember staring up at my mom when she wore her Ao Dai. I would think how beautiful she looked. I could not wait until I could have an Ao Dai for myself.”
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We asked Vietnamese Spotlight listeners when Vietnamese women wear the Ao Dai. Listener Cong Le explained,
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“Women usually wear the Ao Dai during official holiday celebrations.”
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Listener Trinh Hoang said,
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“I think all women in Vietnam wear the Ao Dai at least one time – when they get married.”
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And Nguyen Tran told us,
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“When I studied in high school, I wore the Ao Dai six days each week.”
Voice 1
In Vietnam, women wear many different colors of Ao Dai. Usually younger women wear light colors. And older women wear darker or bolder colors. Spotlight listener Tuan Anh Nguyen explained,
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“Every different Ao Dai color and design shows the beauty and character of the person wearing it. For example, students wear a white Ao dai. This shows purity, innocence, and young beauty. A woman may wear a pink Ao dai at her wedding, when she marries. This shows graceful beauty.”
Voice 2
The Ao Dai continues to be popular in Vietnam. And people in Vietnam are proud to share the Ao Dai with people around the world. As Tuan Anh writes,
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“The Ao Dai is the pride of the nation. It is the pride of every woman, every time she puts it on.”
Voice 1
Have you ever seen an Ao Dai? Does your country have any special clothing? Tell us about it. You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at radio@radioenglish.net. You can also comment on Facebook at Facebook.com/spotlightradio.
Voice 2
The writers of this program were Robin Basselin and Adam Navis. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘Vietnam’s Beautiful Ao Dai’.
Voice 1
Visit our website to download our free official app for Android and Apple devices. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.
Question:
What is the traditional clothing in your country? Have you ever seen an Ao Dai? Write your answer in the comments below.
i am korean
of course
i have korean treadional cloth
we call it hanbouk
ao dai is beautiful
when Vietnamese women wear Ao Dai, they look very beautiful.
See what ? This is our country clothes
Ao dai is our traditional clothing, this speacial clothing made from silk. We alway wear this when have some important event. But in the past, we alway wore ao dai, this cloth make me feel gud, and luxury too.
I’m from Vietnam. I really love Áo dài. I love my country.
Hello VietNam =))
I’m a Vietnamese woman and I’m so proud of our Ao Dai. I hope Ao Dai could be introduced widely around the world and to the international friends.
actually, I don’t know what is the Ao Dai before the broadcast
I am Vietnamese and i am very happy to listen this video! I have been following your website for some months and today I found this video with my exciting! Thank you for your sharing
I’m a vietnamese man. I am so excited when i see all of women in vietnam wear the ao dai. it looks so beauty.
hello, I’m from Vietnam, as you mentioned (Nguyen Tran said ) when we are in high school every girl have to wear white Ao Dai but for my school, we just have to wear it on Monday and Saturday
when i seen an Ao Dai i did love it and i love design it , we are in morocco we have many the traditional clothing of the most fame it in the world is the moroccan caftan ,there are many also of anther the traditional clothing for example jalaba
when i seen an Ao Dai i did love it and i love design it , we are in morocco we have many the traditional clothing of the most fame it in the world is the moroccan caftan
thank you spotlight for this
Yes, exist in my country many different clothing Each at area special clothing her
No I have not seen defore Ao Dai
Hello, my name is Giang and I’m from Vietnam. The Ao Dai, on the other hand, is Vietnamese traditional clothing. When the Ao Dai is exchanged with people all over the world, it makes me so happy. It’s absolutely stunning. If you’re visiting Vietnam, you should put on the Ao Dai and take a lot of pictures!
I am vietnamese person . i love ao dai and i always wear ao dai , this is beautiful and elegant
I from Yemen I put something called shwal in the head and then I wear something called tube, then I wear around my waist something called Janabiya.
In my country Saudi Arabia the men were Thop and some time Besht, but women were Daraa ofcorse that defrent in other city because saudi arabia big country and have defreant traditional. No I never see an Ao Dai.
Myanmar is the most popular nation in southest Asia to wear traditional clothing.
In MyanmarThere are different kind of ethnic groups so each have different kind of traditional clothes. But we all wear the same thing that is longyi both men and women.
I think i really appreciate myself whem i wear Myanmar traditional clothes.
I love my Ao Dai, my country – Vietnam. It will always the pride of me and Vietnamese people.
I come from Viet Nam. The traditional clothing in my country is Ao Dai. When I was in high school, I used to wear white Ao Dai on every Monday. I like wearing Ao Dai because I feel graceful and beautiful. I’m so proud of my country’s traditional clothing.
I like the Ao Dai its looks a beautiful clothing . In my Country in Saudi Arabia we have a traditional clothing let’s me tell you a little about it:
THOBE: The traditional clothing for men is the Thobe, a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment. Thobes worn in summer are generally white and made of cotton. Thobes worn in winter are generally darker in color and made of wool.
TAGIYAH: The Tagiyah is a white knitted skull cap
GHUTRA: The Ghutra is a square scarf, made of cotton or silk, which is worn folded across the head over the Tagiyah. The end of the scarf can be draped across the face as protection in the event of sandstorms.
AGAL: The Agal is a thick, doubled, black cord which is worn on top of the Ghutra to hold it in place.
FEMALE DRESS
THOBE: Women wear the Thobe – a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment, but, for women, the neck and front can be embroidered and decorated with beads.
ABAYA: The Abaya is a large, black cloak, worn either loose and flowing or wrapped around the body. The Abaya is generally made of silk or synthetic cloth.
BOSHIYA: The Boshiya is a black veil, light in weight, worn across the lower part of the face.
SURWAL: The Surwal are cotton or silk trousers worn by women under the Thobe
i am from VietNam and i was really proud when i heard this postcard. Ao Dai is the traditional clothing of VietNam. thanks a lot!!!
I’m Vietnamese, I very proud of traditional clothing in my country, Ao Dai images shows graceful and gentle beauty of a tradition woman Vietnam. When I studied in high school, I wore Ao Dai on Monday every week, and i very pride of every time I put it on.
I’m a Vietnamese, and i’m proud of our traditional cloth.
I was born in Vietnam, and my nation has a large collection of traditional clothing, including Ao dai. The Ao dai is a really elegant and lovely dress that I recall seeing all of the ladies in my high school wear while I was studying there. I am very proud of everything that has happened in my wonderful country.
I’m come from Vietnam and Ao Dai is traditional clothes of my country. I really love Ao Dai, to me Ao Dai is the best beautiful clothes because when women wear Ao Dai their beauty will he show in the most starkly manifested. Ao Dai makes the women more graceful, captivating but still descreet. In Vietnam, female students wear an ao dai to school when they studies at high school. When I learned at high school i really enjoyed to wear Ao Dai. Because Ao Dai is traditional clothe so in the great day, the women also wear Ac Dai. When you come to visits Vietnam, you will see women wear As Dai in many places such as receptionist in airport, hotel, sightseeing places or teachers often wear Ao Dai when they teaching in school. Welcome to Vietnam, lets try wear Ao Dai.
During my high school years, i wore an Ao Dai, which is the female school uniform. We usually wore black pants with a white Ao Dai, but on Mondays, we had to wear white pants because it was the day of the flag salute ceremony. When i was a student, Ao Dai was the most memorable memory. To this day, i still have my Ao Dai, which was signed and inscribed with a message by my classmates on graduation day, which i greatly appreciate
Thanks for this topic. Ao dai is my trandational clothing. So, when I study in high school, my girl friends wore the Ao dai, them are so beautiful. And when I get married, my wife will put on the beautiful Ao dai.
Before hearing this broadcast I don’t know what is ao Dai , sooo beautiful
traditional clothes in Saudi Arabia are man wear thop and women’s long dress and abaya
Ao Dai is traditional Vietnamese clothing. We’re usually wear the Ao Dai in special occasions such as wedding,celebrations,grand opening ceremony… When I studied in high school, I wore the white Ao Dai six days each weeks. My mother is always wear Ao Dai when go to the church every weekend. The woman can wear a pink or red Ao Dai at her wedding, when she marries. Somes foreigner traveled to Vietnam, they wore Ao Dai to take the picture or bought to their frends as a gift.Vietnamese are proud to share the Ao Dai with people around the world.
I am Vietnamese and the ao dai is our national costume. My school uniform since middle school is a white ao dai.
Ao dai is very beautiful and very flattering to the person wearing it
I have not seen an Ao Dai before today. I googled it. It is a beautiful clothing. In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, we have a national clothing for men called Thoub. Women in the south of the country was wearing a national dress called public dress but unfortunately they do not wear them any more.
Otavalo clothing.
No i have not seen one in my life.
I am an Indian
Of course
I have Indian traditional clothes
For boys: Kurta pyjama
For girls: Sari
I have never seen Ao dai