A festival featured with ao dai --Vietnam's national dress for women, has kicked off here to boost the recovery of tourism in the country's capital.

During the three-day festival's opening ceremony held on Friday evening next to Hoan Kiem Lake, various ao dai collections of well-known designers, tourism companies, airlines and hotels were displayed, and art programs about tradition, history and usage of ao dai in olden and present days in various localities, including the capital city of Hanoi, the central city of Hue and southern Ho Chi Minh City, were staged.

On Saturday and Sunday in the walking streets around the lake, there will be a parade of nearly 1,000 women in ao dai, and different music and light shows featuring the traditional long dress's beauty.

With the message of turning ao dai, "a culture ambassador," into "a tourism ambassador," the festival is designed to facilitate the recovery and development of Hanoi tourism which was heavily hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the municipal authorities.

Hanoi welcomed over 17 million domestic and foreign tourists in the first 11 months of this year, far exceeding the yearly target, said the Hanoi Department of Tourism.

Earlier, the city planned to host 9-10 million tourists, including 1.2-2 million foreigners in 2022.