Precious Heritage photography exhibition in Hà Nội

HA NOI — Portraits depicting the beauty of Viet Nam’s different ethnic groups by French photographer Rehahn will be part of the Precious Heritage exhibition at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, starting Wednesday.

On display in Ha Noi will be a selection of 35 photographs through which Rehahn shows the country’s rich and diverse ethnic culture.

His famous portraits of young children and old women from across the country represent both large and small ethnic groups, from communities that have hundreds of thousands of members to just a few hundreds like the O Du and Ro Mam.

Posing in their traditional costumes, they symbolise their ancestral customs, the ancient knowledge passed down from one generation to another, the challenges in preserving it and the hope of keeping it alive.

The renowned photographer believes that the “most efficient way to preserve the culture of the ethnic groups is to promote them outside their community, to create a sense of pride for their heritage and ancient customs. Sometimes, you need someone else’s vision to make you realise what you have.”

Associate Professor Vo Quang Trong said the Precious Heritage exhibition showcases the natural beauty of Vietnamese people in their traditional costumes through the lens of the French photographer, and will enrich the viewer, making him/her feel happy and proud.

Earlier, the Precious Heritage exhibition was inaugurated as a free outdoor exhibition in the ancient coastal city of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam on July 1, and will run through this summer.

The photographer has lived in Hoi An for the past six years, and so far has reached out to 45 of the total 54 ethnic minority communities in Viet Nam.

In January 2016, he was nominated as the second most renowned online French photographer on photography website xxlpix.net.  — VNS