(VOVworld) - The Goethe Institute in Hanoi is hosting a display of “Ao Dai” – Vietnam’s traditional long gown - in combination with a multimedia installation as the first cultural activity in a series to mark the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Germany and Vietnam. Titled “The gorgeous yellow runs over pale leaves”, the exhibit opened on Thursday, featuring a collection of “Ao dai” by Thai Kim Lan, a local researcher on German culture.

An attire on display

The outfits were worn by royal family members in Hue, Vietnam’s imperial capital in the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). They were among gifts by the imperial court to Lan’s family about 100 years ago. Thai Kim Lan left her birthplace, Hue city, for Munich in 1965 to study German. She became a philosopher, a poet, and an author of cook books, and is now a Vietnamese culture ambassador in Germany. Thai Kim Lan told VOV: "This collection belongs to my family. Some outfits were worn by my grandmother and other ladies in the family. There is also some royal attire worn by Nguyen royal family members in their daily life in addition to clothes worn by ordinary people at that period."