History of The Ao Dai Museum

“The Ao Dai Museum is the place in which the stories of the Vietnamese ao dais throughout history have been preserved and honored. The museum not only displays precious artifacts and documents related to the ao dai but also introduces the core values of this national costume into everyday life. These efforts contribute to the diversity of human civilization worldwide, bringing ao dais closer to the public at home and abroad.

The Ao Dai Museum officially opened on January 22, 2014. Since then, it has been preserving a lot of national cultural heritage. In its exhibition spaces, visitors can explore the history of the ao dai and the stories of the ao dais worn by those who have devoted themselves to the country’s development in various sectors. Additionally, the museum houses many special exhibitions, including “The Ao Dai - A Cultural Heritage” and “Bau Truc Pottery.” Notably, the museum focuses on introducing the ao dais associated with Vietnamese unique intangible cultural heritage inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, such as Vi and Giam folk songs, Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk songs, and Don ca tai tu music and song in southern Vietnam.

The Ao Dai Museum is one of two private thematic museums under the administration of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City. The idea for its construction originated with Vietnamese artist and designer Si Hoang. Since 2015, the Ao Dai Museum has become a cultural institution owned and run by Vietnam Signature Corporation. The investment and development of Vietnam Signature Corporation constituted a dramatic turning point in the museum’s operations.” (Sourse: baotangaodai.com.vn)

He was extremely surprised when the Vietnamese ao dai was displayed at the Kimono museum during one of his visits. However, it is worth mentioning that the costume's note is "Chinese modern clothing".

He believes that this confusion will make many international friends not know about the traditional costumes of the Vietnamese people. Therefore, the idea of ​​building the Ao Dai Museum in District 1 was also conceived to honor the national costume of our nation.

The idea of ​​building the Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Museum was rekindled by Nguyen Hoang for 10 years. The purpose of the museum is to honor the beauty of Vietnamese culture and help foreign tourists understand more about the nation's traditional costumes.

Where is Ao Dai Museum?

The museum is located in Phuoc Long ward, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City.

How to Get to Ao Dai Museum?

Go by motobike: This is the most convenient way to get to the museum if you're starting from Ho Chi Minh City. You can rent a motorbike and use Google Maps to get directions from the city center to the Ao Dai Museum.

By bus: From Ben Thanh market, you can take bus number 88 directly to the museum. It cost 6.000VNĐ/ticket.

Ticket price range from 30,000 VND to 100,000 VND/person (including explanations).

Opening time: 8:30 - 16:30

Highlights of Ao Dai Museum

Architecture of the Ao Dai Museum

The entire area of the Ao Dai Museum is up to 20,000 m2. in which, the exhibition house has an area of about 200m2, the rest is the landscape of the garden, souvenir area and motel,...

The open architectural complex of the Ao Dai Museum, which is connected to nature, can create a significant depth of emotion for the traditional cultural values of the ao dai.

The Nha Ruong (traditional houses) of Quang Nam Province and the Mekong Delta region are blended into the distinctive architectural characteristics of the Ao Dai Museum.

The Ao Dai Museum's architecture symbolizes Vietnamese settings that uphold time-honored but timeless traditional values. Additionally, it meets the needs for outdoor practice programs, camps for writing literature and art, discussion shows, seminars, and exchanges, turning into a lively environment for learning, training, nurturing your mind, and enhancing your mental capacity.

Admire more than 300 models of Ao Dai

• Ao Dai for Hue Court Music: These are the Ao Dai models of both men and women used in the performances of Hue royal court music.

• Ao Dai Le Mur: Le Mur's ao dai started to deteriorate with time. However, this is a relic connected to a 1940s couple's love tale. Additionally, this is the Ao Dai that was stored in an odd manner during the conflict.

• Ao Dai Tu Than: Artist Nguyen Cat Tuong created this one-of-a-kind item in the 1930s. Many tourists who rented ao dai at the Ao Dai Museum discovered that this item, which has two front and back flaps similar to other traditional goods marketed now, was also a recognizable one.

• Ao dai worn by Southern women in the 1950s: Ao dai bearing the characteristics of Southern women are also preserved at the museum. The shirt is simple with ordinary motifs but contains many stories about Southern women.

• Ao dai of historical figures and artists: At the museum, there are many memorabilia of historical celebrities such as hero Nguyen Thi Dinh, Phung Ba and Bach Tuyet, etc.

The Ao Dai Museum is a place of immense cultural significance for the country's traditional Ao Dai. This is a distinctive check-in location in Saigon as well as a destination for travelers to explore and learn. Coming to the museum will allow you to unwind in a tranquil setting while viewing cultural artifacts that have enduring worth over time in the middle of the bustle and noise of the city known as Uncle Ho.

Through a rich variety of exploration activities, the best moments that have been captured, and a museum tour, visitors have the chance to observe the allure of colorful ao dais from various eras, discover the essence of the ancient lifestyle, and enjoy the fresh air of nature and the beautiful living here.