Ao Dai Exhibition @ Saigon Skydeck in Ho Chi Minh City [Vietnam]

Chanced upon an Ao Dai Exhibition at Saigon Skydeck in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and since it's part of the entry to the skydeck; no way am I going to miss it! 

Are you intrigued by the beauty of Ao Dai; the traditional attire for Vietnamese women? As someone from the Chinese ethnicity, I look at it as something similar to cheongsam but with longer sleeves and typically wore with a pair of pants. 

This exhibition showcased the transition of Ao Dai over the years. The history of modern Ao Dai isn't that long; only about 200 years. Cheongsam was even shorer; gaining popularity only after the Qing Dynasty was overthrown.

There's a chamber within that had a pathetically sized television that was playing a terribly bad quality video. In the era we are in now, a digital upgrade was desperately required to improve user experience.

A historical Ao Dai that was the norm in the 17-19th century; it was a four-part attire. Despite the information panel, I still don't get how these four parts come about.

Ao Dai Mini in the 70s; from the color, I can imagine why as that era was during the hippie movement. I would expect the trend to die down soon as the Vietnam War ended in 1975, with communism taking over the governance. 

Lemur Ao Dai - from the 1930s with a European flair. 

I can imagine this to be a cheongsam once the sleeves were shortened. 

A wedding Ao Dai!

Lastly, an Ao Dai that was designed in 2015 and used for Miss Universe competition. For such competitions, the design is usually a bit different. Furthermore, did you notice the hat which is different from the conical one? That's actually called a Khan Dong and known more as a headpiece than a hat.

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Location

Within Saigon Skydeck,

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Click here for my 6 Days Itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) - Pearl of the Far East @ Vietnam