How faith can move mountains

The traditional costumes have always contributed to honouring the country’s cultural identities. The men’s Ao Dai had once sunk into oblivion. However, today, Ao Dai for men is in the process of a renaissance, with the attention of the whole community.

An arduous journey

People who love traditional culture must not forget the image of Vietnamese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Tran Ngoc An presenting a letter of credentials to UK Queen Elizabeth II. He wore a blue Ao Dai with traditional patterns. That was a beautiful moment as Ambassador Tran Ngoc An selecteda Ao Dai to express Vietnamese traditional culture. Vietnamese Ambassador to India, Bhutan and Nepal Pham Sanh chau wore Ao Dai not only during diplomatic ceremonies but also at festivals and cultural events. He also mobilised the Embassy’s staff to wear Ao Dai regularly. Now all staff at the Vietnamese Embassy in India wear Ao Dai on three occasions each year including at Tet (Lunar New Year), National Holidays and the Vu Lan (a Buddhist holiday held annually on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month to express gratitude to mothers). Ambassador Chau has been called “The Ambassador of Ao Dai ”. The appearance of Ao Dai for men at diplomatic events has surprised many people because previously, few people thought this kind of traditional long dress could bring such elegance and honour to the national culture.

These beautiful images make us feel the revival of Ao Dai for men seems to have started. However, the return of men’s Ao Dai was not as easy as it seems. Writer and researcher Hoang Quoc Hai still remembers the time nearly 30 years ago when the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) invited experts to discuss national clothing. He said that none of the many invited cultural managers and experts could answer the question of what was the national uniform for men. For him, it is a cultural pain. He said the meeting between leaders of the Ministry of Culture and Information and experts did not bring about results as expected but it did create a start.

Many people started talking about a national dress that expresses the national identity firstly. Certainly, traditional Vietnamese clothing comes in a variety of styles for men and women. However, the traditional Ao Dai dress was considered the “prime candidate” for the national clothing of Vietnamese men. In the past, Ao Dai for men often appeared only on the stage or at festivals. But then, the Ao Dai for men gradually appeared more at weddings, fashion shows and cultural events. Images of the Ao Dai for men in use have been more frequent over the past ten years. There are more and more young people confidently wearing Ao Dai in their activities. Thua Thien Hue province has become the first locality encouraging male civil servants in the cultural sector to wear Ao Dai each Monday.

The journey of preserving and promoting the value of Ao Dai for men also featured the participation of many researchers, cultural experts and especially young people. Dinh Lang Viet (Vietnamese Communal House) Club is one group active in restoring the tradition of the men’s Ao Dai . Its members have always worn Ao Dai at cultural events. In 2017, the Ao Dai Ngu Than (five-flap long dress) Development Support Centre under the Dinh Lang Viet Club was formed. The club’s head Nguyen Duc Binh said that “Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat laid the foundation for the birth and development of Ao Dai Ngu Than in 1744. The image of Ao Dai for men had faded since 1940s due to the influence of western culture. After 1954, Ao Dai for men only appeared on stage. Wars persisted continuously, so the image of Ao Dai was forgotten. In fact, in cultural and fashion festivals, many variations of Ao Dai sometimes lost the male visage of strength, sometimes looking like the traditional long dresses of other countries in the South Asia. Many people began to confuse the men’s Ao Dai with other outfits. This is the reason why the Dinh Lang Viet Club and many research groups and art experts started to rediscover the beauty of the men’s Ao Dai . Fortunately, there are still many documents and images related to the Ao Dai Ngu Than .

In addition to Dinh Lang Viet Club, many researchers and other traditional cultural clubs have conducted their own studies. Up to this point, the traditional Ao Dai for men has been “positioned” onspecial criteria. In addition to its distinguishing factors compared to the long dresses of other nations, Ao Dai for men has a distinctly profound significance. For example, the five flaps represent the four mothers and fathers as well as himself. Five buttons represent the five virtues of a gentleman.

Efforts to make Ao Dai closer to life

As a witness of the ups and downs of the men’s Ao Dai , writer Hoang Quoc Hai is happy to see its “renaissance”. He said that he has firm faith because there are many young people among the researchers and those who like wearing Ao Dai ngu than . In fact, in addition to Dinh Lang Viet Club, the Y Van Hien Club was a group of 9x young people who have made efforts to find a way back for the nation’s traditional costumes. Y Van Hien has become a reputable enterprise that specialises in providing traditional costumes for collectives and individuals including many cultural and diplomatic activists. Director of the Y Van Hien Company Nguyen Duc Loc said: “Looking back at the photos of Hanoians in the early twentieth century, we see that many Hanoi families wore traditional Ao Dai . The traditional Ao Dai for men overcomes many physical weaknesses while exuding an elegant elegance and demonstrating the strong poise of a man”.

However, the traditional Ao Dai for men has also certain disadvantages. The preservation and promotion of value of this traditional outfit is necessary; however, the problem is how to apply it to the modern social context.

According to Master Nguyen Kim Huong, a lecture from the Hanoi University of Architecture, the renovation of Ao Dai is a trend to suit today’s life, so that it can be used while going to work and going out”.

Many other researchers believe the renovation must pay attention to convenience and comfort. Head of Dinh Lang Viet Club Nguyen Duc Binh also noted that Ao Dai must be adjusted to keep its traditional beauty as well as apply it to today’s lifestyle.

Although there is no official document recognising the men’s Ao Dai ngu than as a national costume, in the minds of many people, it is most certainly a representative image of Vietnamese costume culture.

In addition to traditional dances that have been preserved and promoted, young artists have introduced both domestic and foreign audiences to contemporary works inspired by the quintessence and traditional cultural identities of Vietnam during its process of exchange with the world.

The ballet entitled “Kieu” by choreographer Nguyen Tuyet Minh, inspired by the literary masterpiece of the great poet Nguyen Du, left an indelible impression on artistic life last year. The dance combines the techniques of western classic ballet and contemporary dance with the folk dances of Vietnam. Symphonic and contemporary music are harmonised with Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) and hat xam (ballads sung by wandering blind musicians) in the ballet performance. Recently, dancer Vu Ngoc Khai, who was trained in the Netherlands, has become a favourite. After he returned to Vietnam, he came closer to the public through dance pieces entitled “Suong som” (Morning Dew), “Moc” (Rusticity) and “Tich tac” (The tick). In particular, the contemporary dance piece “Day gieng” ( Bottom of the Well), choreographed and performed by himself, surprised audiences with the sound of Binh Dinh war drums that heretofore only appeared in traditional art as well as images of non la (conical hats) and flower-shaped mats. In addition, movements simulating the folk games of cockfighting and buffalo fighting became special features of the dance.

An artwork in the project “From tradition to tradition”

Folk materials have also been the inspiration for contemporary music. The public enjoyed traditional music forms such as Chau Van (spiritual singing), Tuong (classical drama) and Cheo (traditional opera) in shows entitled “Gio” (Wind) and “Lua” (Fire) by pianist Pho An My and musician Dang Tue Nguyen. The feature dialogue between piano and traditional musical instruments. The symphony orchestra Seaphony gathered over 50 artisans and instrumentalists from many regions around the country. Lip-lutes, leaf-horns, Tinh flutes and gongs form a unique national symphony orchestra that has resonated both at home and abroad.

The recent concert “Folklore on jazz/Folklore on the strings” was a special musical programme in late 2020, featuring the participation of veteran artists from the traditional arts as well as jazz artists and an orchestra with traditional and symphony instruments. The concert was a bridge for north-west dialogues with jazz playing a role as the connection between traditional music and symphonic sounds. The show was atypical of a combination between indigenous and international music. The quintessential beauty of the traditional art forms of Tuong, Cheo and Cai luong (reformed opera) and the pristine features of the melodies from the northwestern mountainous regions as well as the improvised structures of jazz and the expressive ability of the strings and brass in the symphony created an open music space. Audiences felt a strong connection between many aspects of music: tradition – modernity and freedom.

The Seaphony National Orchestra in a performance in Hanoi

The country’s traditional fine art treasure has also formed the base and inspiration for the creation of new cultural values. The public once admired the traditional patterns on Ao Dai designs by famous designers such as Minh Hanh, Hoa Nguyen and Ha Linh Thu. They were promoted to the world through fashion shows. The images of Dong Son bronze drums also appeared on the watches, phones and music boxes of many famous brands in the world.

With a great love for Hang Trong paintings, designer Trinh Thu Trang and her S-River group conducted the project “Hoa sac Viet” (Vietnamese Colours and Patterns) to provide insightful analysis and concrete methods of using colours and patterns of this painting style. The data was digitised into a colour charset and vectorised in association with instructions on the combination of colours and their application in graphics, fashion, furniture and handicrafts. They will be an abundant warehouse of raw materials to create future designs imbued with the Vietnamese identity.

Also inspired by Hang Trong paintings, a group of teachers and students from the Vietnam Fine Arts University applied the paintings’ motifs to other materials such as pottery, lacquer, silk and 3D printing technology. The softness of the silk and sparkle of lacquers emphasised the delicate and soft patterns of the Hang Trong paintings. Under the guidance of skilled teachers, students also brought contemporary stories into their works that have a high level of relevance to life such as the silk painting featuring “carp turning into dragons” on curtains, the “rat’s wedding” on lacquer vase, and Hang Trong paintings on lanterns. Traditional heritage has been developed by younger generations. They communicated with the tradition via their own feelings. This will be an inspiration for the start of other projects with a series of traditional art heritage in dialogue with the many contemporary qualities of Vietnam and the world.

Never before has the traditional cultural heritage been promoted in such a skillful and creative manner like today. This is the way for young people to spread their patriotism, Vietnamese cultural identity and sprit to the world.

At around 4am September 16, storm Noul was located about 200km north of Palawan island of the Philippines, packing gusts of between 60-75kph near its centre.

In the next 24 to 48 hours, the storm is moving west and north-west at a speed of between 15-20kph and is likely to gain strength.

It will continue to intensify as it makes its way toward central Vietnam, travelling at a speed of between 20-25kph.

Noul will cause rough seas and heavy rain on the way it traverses Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago in the East Sea.

Central coastal provinces of Vietnam, especially those spanning from Quang Binh to Da Nang, are on high alert as the storm is approaching the coast. Mountainous localities are warned about possible flashfloods and landslides when it makes landfall this weekend.

Noul is forecast to be the most powerful storm that has formed in the East Sea this year, according to weather experts. VOV

The fifth storm to enter theEast Sea this year is heading to the central region of Vietnam. — Photo kttv.gov.vn

According to Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm would directly affect central provinces, especially Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang with wind speeds of 90-100 km per hour and sometimes hitting 135 km per hour.

Heavy rain will blanket the central provinces from Thursday afternoon to Friday night, he said, warning about high risk of flash flood and landslides in the central region.

By 1 pm on Wednesday, the storm’s eye was about 680 km away to the south east of Hoang Sa (Paracels) with the strongest wind of 60-75 km per hour, sometimes reaching 90-100 km per hour.

The storm is moving west-northwest.

It’s expected that by 1pm on Friday, the storm eye will be on the waters close to provinces from Quang Bình to Quang Ngai with wind at the storm eye reaching 100-135 km per hour or more.

After making landfall in central provinces from Quang Bình to Da Nang on Friday afternoon or evening, the storm would be weakened to become a tropical low pressure.

About 1am on Saturday, the heart of the tropical low pressure is on the border area of Lao and Thailand with strongest wind reducing to 40-50 km per hour.

Meeting with ministries and agencies on Wednesday morning to make preparations, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung raised alert levels, calling for active and timely actions to respond to the storm’s movements.

He asked localities, border guards and the transport sector to tighten control over the operation of fishing vessels and tourist ships at sea so the vessels/ships would avoid entering storm-affected areas and find safe shelter.

By 10am on Wednesday, border guards informed 285,384 people on 58,345 vessels about the storm and instructed them to keep away from possibly affected areas.

According to Border Guard Command, by Thursday morning, about 700 vessels were in the areas possibly affected by the storm. The number does not include vessels/boats/ships that are operating in coastal areas.

Dung asked localities to instruct vessels to head to shelters, ensure safety for human life and property, particularly assist people to move/reinforce aquaculture growing facilities as the central region was a hub of aquaculture production with high economic value in Vietnam.

Localities were also asked to have evacuation plans in place to ensure safety for people living in vulnerable areas like coastal areas, river mouths and landslide/flood-prone areas.

Anti-flood measures must be taken into account to protect urban areas and agriculture production.

The deputy PM asked for review and promptly fix problems at dams and reservoirs of hydropower plants.

Now, many reservoirs in the central region are dry, so their operators must closely oversee and adjust the storage of water to ensure the reservoirs’ safety.

He assigned specific tasks to ministries and agencies, urging them to make use available resources for actively, effectively and timely responding to the storm.

Vice head of Central Steering Committee on Natural Disasters Prevention and Control Tran Quang Hoai said that proper attention must be paid to reservoirs because damages were found at 55 reservoirs in the central region including 16 ones Thanh Hoa, ten in Nghe An, eight in Ha Tinh, 12 in Quang Bình, six in Quang Tri and three in Thua Thien-Hue.

Another 41 reservoirs are under construction and 99 locations along key sea dyke system from Thanh Hoa to Da Nang need to be protected when the storm makes landfall.

There are also 26 dyke works including 13 carried out on sea dyke system or rivers mouths are being built.

PM urges response efforts as tropical storm heading towards central region

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 16 issued a notice, asking relevant ministries, agencies and localities to keep a close eye on the development of Storm Noul and put forth specific tasks.

People’s Committees of cities and provinces need to ensure safety of activities at sea, coordinate with concerned forces to control the operation of vessels, and guide local residents to take preventive measures in order to protect crops, houses and other facilities.

Human resources and equipment should be ready for the evacuation of people in dangerous areas, with attention paid to COVID-19 prevention and control, according to the notice.

The PM has warned of flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas after heavy rains, saying measures are needed to ensure the safety of reservoirs, especially important ones or those under construction.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will provide update about the storm for people and relevant agencies.

The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control will inform vessels of dangerous areas, and instruct ministries, agencies and localities in response efforts.

Specific tasks have also been assigned to other ministries and agencies in the notice.

At 4 a.m. on September 17, storm Noul is forecast to be around 450 km to the southeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, off the central coast, with a maximum wind speed of 90 kph.

Weather forecasting centers in Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines, and Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) – a leading forecaster and mapper of tropical storm activity – predict the storm will keep strengthening until wind speeds reach 110-120 kph and head toward central Vietnam.

Storm Noul is the fifth formed this year in the East Sea. The fourth storm, Higos, hit last month, making landfall in China.

Natural disasters like droughts, floods and landslides killed 133 people in Vietnam last year and caused losses worth around 7 trillion VND (302.6 million USD), according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the first half of this year they claimed 47 lives and caused losses worth 3.3 trillion VND.

The East Sea could see 11-13 storms and tropical depressions this year, half of them affecting the country, meteorologists have warned.

Danang prepares for Storm Noul

The central city of Danang is making preparations to respond to Storm Nodul which has been forecasted to hit central Vietnam soon.

On Wednesday, the Danang Central Steering board Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control issued a dispatch on the response.

The typhoon has been predicted to move towards north-northwest within the next 24 hours.

By 7 am on Thursday, the storm would lay centred in the area which is around 350 kilometres far from the Southeast of the Paracel Islands with the strongest wind power of 75-100 kilometres per hour in the East Sea.

Between 24-48 hours, the storm would continue strengthening. By 7 am on Friday, the storm eye would be off the central provinces from Quang Tri to Quang Nam with a wind force of 100-135 kilometres per hour.

Danang has been warned of being directly affected by the storm, so the municipal Central Steering board Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control called for ships and boats to find shelters to avoid the storm.

The border force has been asked to keep contact with boat and ship owners for the rescue in necessary cases.— VNS/VNA/Dtinews