Attending as a guest artist to announce the WeChoice Awards on the evening of January 12, Tran Thanh confidently stated: "This is the first time at an awards ceremony that we are proud to wear national costumes to the event. Looking closely at our national costumes, they are very fashionable. Everyone looks at each other and sees what they are wearing, whether it is beautiful or not, that is something I am extremely proud of."
The celebrity’s statement at a widely watched event caused an immediate reaction. Many opinions said that Tran Thanh calling the ao dai a national costume was incorrect because Vietnam does not have an official national costume.
The audience commented: "Without researching carefully, you're already shouting and calling names randomly. Does Tran Thanh really understand national costumes?"
It's okay for Tran Thanh to "slip up" and it's normal for someone to make a wrong statement. But this scandal shows that we also need to put the issue of Vietnam's national costume back on the table.
At the National Assembly forum in June 2024, regarding national costumes, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had identified the ceremonial costume and national costume as a set of clothing with a characteristic nature, but was later forced to stop because when submitting it, there was a problem with "who has the authority to recognize it, who is the one to sign it". In the end, the answer was that no one has the authority because there are no regulations.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung added: “We reviewed the legal basis and found that it does not exist. This is a legal gap.”
National costumes are also an information "channel" to promote a country's image to the world. Some countries have national costumes, but Vietnam does not.
For a long time, Ao Dai has been considered a traditional costume, used at festivals, New Year's Eve, and important national and international events. In many cultural exchange programs with other countries, Ao Dai is used and introduced very solemnly and popularly. However, Ao Dai has not yet been recognized as a national costume.
The Ao Dai naturally enters poetry, music, and painting as a unique costume, a symbol of Vietnam. Culture and art are one thing, but being recognized as a national costume is a legal matter. Legality is a problem, as Minister Nguyen Van Hung said: "This is a legal gap".
If asked which costume is more traditional, popular, beautiful, solemn and "rich in cultural identity" than the ao dai, it would be difficult to point out. So, the ao dai is still the number 1 priority for choosing the national costume.
Laws are made by people, and if there is a need for authoritative regulations to recognize national dress, then laws should be made.
