The ao dai and other symbols of Vietnam
Visitors see them everywhere: the long silk tunic, the conical hat, lotus motifs on pagoda roofs. Each has a story, and knowing it makes the trip richer.
The áo dài
The áo dài is a long, close-fitting tunic with slits up both sides, worn over loose trousers. Its roots go back to the 18th century, when the Nguyen lords standardised dress in the South; the modern, fitted form took shape in Hanoi in the 1930s, when designers such as Nguyen Cat Tuong reshaped it.
Today you see it on schoolgirls, since many high schools use a white áo dài as uniform, on brides and wedding guests, at Tết, on hotel and bank staff, and on Vietnam Airlines cabin crew. Men wear it too, mostly at weddings and at Tết. At Tết, families dress up in áo dài to take photos among the blossoms of the flower markets. Tailors in Hoi An, Hanoi and Saigon make one to measure in a day or two.
The conical hat (nón lá)
Palm leaves stitched over bamboo rings: light, cheap, and good against both sun and rain. In Hue, the “poem hat” (nón bài thơ) hides verses and pictures between its layers, visible only against the light.
The lotus
Vietnam has never officially designated a national flower, but the lotus is the one Vietnamese people name. It grows from the mud and opens clean above the water, an image of purity, and it is a central Buddhist symbol. More in the lotus, Vietnam’s national flower.
Bamboo
Villages in the North were traditionally ringed by bamboo hedges, and bamboo stands for resilience: it bends in a storm without breaking.
The dragon
Legend traces the Vietnamese people to a dragon lord, Lac Long Quan, and a fairy, Au Co, and Vietnamese still call themselves “children of the dragon, grandchildren of the fairy” (con Rồng cháu Tiên). Ha Long Bay means “where the dragon descends”.
The bronze drum
Bronze drums of the Dong Son culture, cast more than 2,000 years ago in the Red River Delta, are decorated with birds, boats and a star at the centre. They are an emblem of ancient Vietnamese culture; you can see them at the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi.
Water puppets
Water puppetry (múa rối nước) comes from the villages of the Red River Delta, where puppeteers hidden behind a screen move the figures across a pool. Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre stages shows every day.
The flag
Red, with a five-pointed yellow star in the centre.
More Vietnam guides
- Map of Vietnam’s 34 provinces
Tap any of the 34 provinces for its sights, food, flower seasons and best months, and see which province Hoi An or Sa Pa belongs to now.
- When to visit Vietnam: weather by region and month
Three climates, three rainy seasons: which months suit the north, the centre and the south, and what is in bloom.
- Vietnamese fruits: what to try, and when
Dragon fruit, mangosteen, lychee, durian and more: the season for each, how to eat it, and what you can take home.
- What to buy in Vietnam: souvenirs worth bringing home
Coffee, tea, an áo dài made to measure, lacquerware and silk: what to buy, where, and what to leave behind.
- Vietnam travel guide
From a florist in Ho Chi Minh City
These guides are written by Flosa, a flower shop in Ho Chi Minh City. Celebrating something while you travel, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a proposal? We deliver flowers to hotels across Vietnam. Want to thank someone in Vietnam after you get home? You can send flowers to Vietnam from abroad.