Exploring Vietnam through photos

Thuyen hoa (Boats of flowers) by Tran Minh Luong wins the first prize. The photo features the beauty of Hoi An ancient city at night with shimmering lights. The ancient city of Hoi An – a UNESCO-recognised world heritage site, located in central Quang Nam province. It is a charming city with ancient roots, distinct architecture, a contagious energy, and arguably one of the best street food scenes on the planet. According to Travel + Leisure, Hoi An is home to friendly people who are eager to share the best their city has to offer. It is also a perfect place to combine culture with relaxation. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The second prize - Suong som (Early mist) by Le Nguyen Huy. The photo was taken from above in Da Lat, describing the view of the landscape surrounding the Pedagogical College of Da Lat, a must-see for tourists visiting the beautiful capital city of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Located at No. 29 Yersin street, Da Lat city, the college is the only construction work of Vietnam recognized by the Union of International Architects (UIA) as one of 1,000 unique buildings of the world built in the 20th century. Built in the heart of Da Lat using a combination of western and oriental architecture styles, the Pedagogical College of Da Lat has become a popular tourist attraction due to its quaint and charming ambiance. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Cau Vang trong suong (Golden Bridge in the Mist) by Nguyen Quang also secures second prize.  The Golden Bridge in the central coastal city of Da Nang has been ranked amongst the 28 most stunning bridges around the world by Insider, a leading US newswire. The walkway is 150 metres long and comprises of eight spans, each of which is lined with purple chrysanthemums. The bridge serves as a transit between a replica of a French village and Le Jardin D’Amour flower garden in Ba Na Hills resort. From the bridge, visitors have a panoramic view of the green mountains of Nui Chua. The bridge has also been featured in many foreign media outlets such as The Times, CNN and The Guardian. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The third prize-winning Than Thien (Friendly) by Ton That Tuan Linh spotlights the beauty of a peaceful and friendly Vietnam.  The Yok Don National Park in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak signed an agreement with the Animals Asia Foundation in 2018 to become the first unit in Vietnam committed to applying elephant-friendly tourism. The two sides pledged to shift the tourism model from riding elephants to coming to see elephants in their natural environment. The transition will see the elephants free to behave as they would in the wild, free to roam the park; bathe in mud, dust, and water; or graze as tourists watch on from a safe distance. Cruel mistreatment of the elephants will be eliminated, including the banning of their use for festival activities. The new tourism model will benefit elephant owners, mahouts, and the local community. (VietnamPlus)

The work Vu cong tren bien (Dancers at sea) by Nguyen Tien Trinh wins third prize. The photographer captures the moments of flyboard players on Hon Tam Island in Nha Trang Bay, the south central province of Khanh Hoa. Tourists who love extreme sea sports now have a new destination to enjoy their hobby after an entertainment and sea sports complex opened on the island. The new service in the complex is Flyboard, a board connected by a long hose to a watercraft. With water forced down under pressure from the board, people can be lifted 9 – 10 metres in the air. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The third prize Don nang (Welcoming the sunshine) by Do Thu Quyen. The photo features the majestic and dream beauty of tea hills in Tan Son district’s Long Coc commune in Phu Tho. Each morning, Long Coc is shrouded in the mist. The hill stands tall in Long Coc commune, Tan Son district, covering 10,000 square metres with hundreds of small hills carpeted in tea like upturned bowls stretching out to the horizon. This oasis has also earned Long Coc the nickname Ha Long Bay in the midland region. The hill, which is home to several tea farms, is a magnet for low temperatures with a blanket of fog settling the summit. The whole scene looked like a painting. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Ba Na Hills – Da Nang by Huynh Van Truyen wins a consolation prize. Sun World Ba Na Hills, is one of the top tourist attractions in the central city of Da Nang. Ba Na belongs to Truong Son mountain range in Hoa Ninh commune, Hoa Vang district, 25km southwest of Da Nang’s centre. Its tourism centre is located at the top of Chua Mountain, 1,489m above the sea level. The Ba Na Hills tourism site is known as an outlandish fairyland with a diverse floral system. The French village with ancient castles is how some imagine a miniature of Paris looks like. The complex includes 10 flower gardens, a large amusement park and Debay Ancient Wine Cellar, a unique architectural work dug by the French deep into Ba Na Mountain. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Consolation prize-winning Banh mi Sai Gon (Saigon bread) by Tu The Duy. Banh mi (popular Vietnamese street food) was admitted into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. An animated image of Vietnam’s banh mi (bread) was featured on Google’s homepage on March 24, 2020, helping to promote Vietnam's special snack to the world. The first baguette in Vietnam dates back 130 years to the time when France colonised the country between the 1880s and 1954. The French usually cut it into small sections to serve with soup, curry or butter. In 1970, wood-fired ovens were converted into larger brick kilns to bake in bulk, which gave the bread its Vietnamese identity. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Consolation prize-winning Tau qua ham Le Son (Train through Le Son tunnel) by Tran Bao Hoa.  The Le Son tunnel is located in Le Son village in the central province of Quang Binh’s Tuyen Hoa district. Viewed from above, Le Son village looks like a shan-shui painting. If you have the opportunity to travel to Quang Binh, you should take your time to visit the destination and enjoy the beauty here. Quang Binh is well-known for a system of spectacular caves with layers of multi-shaped stalactites. The province boasts rich tourism resources for Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and the world’s largest cave Son Doong. The locality also has the longest coastline in Vietnam, with beautiful beaches and special seafood. It was chosen as a site for the Hollywood blockbuster movie Kong: Skull Island. (VietnamPlus)