Photo exhibition recalls village memories

A village’s community is seen as a miniature version of old-time Vietnamese society. With the aim of showing the public true-to-life reflections of the Vietnamese countryside, a photo exhibition titled “Memories of a village” by photographer Nguyen Huu Bao opened on Oct 2nd in Hanoi.

These are some of the 64 photos featured in the exhibition “Memories of a village”, which tells various life stories from the Vietnamese countryside. These photos were taken by Nguyen Huu Bao over 20 years and were exhibited in Paris last year.

"Sometimes I was inspired by random things, like the voice of the girl selling bread in the rain. I took that photo because I felt sad for her. She had to earn her own living too early. That was part of my feelings when I spent time in villages", said Nguyen Huu Bao, Photographer.

"I jointly held this exhibition with Huu Bao. I like it so much. The exhibition truly depicts Vietnamese villages. To understand Vietnamese culture, you have to understand the community in a Vietnamese village. Any Vietnamese,  even living abroad, still has part of their village in themselves", said Le Thiet Cuong, Artist.

The exhibition is divided into 4 areas reflecting villages in the Red River Delta, coastal regions, the northern mountainous regions, and the Central Highlands. Most of the photos by Nguyễn Hữu Bảo are close-up shots. Looking at the photos, viewers seem to relive the past in the countryside, with childhood play and hard working days. 

"I like this photo so much. It was taken on the coast of Thanh Hoa province. I like it because this place is also my hometown. I can see images of my family in it", said Nguyen Loan, an exhibition goer.

o record those true-to-life pictures, photographer guyen Huu Bao has spent most of his life with villagers. The exhibition will be open until October 15th in Hanoi.