Vietnam Women's Union

The month kicked off on May 19 with an exhibition entitled "Ha Noi Passion" by Hoai Linh from the Vietnamese capital city of Ha Noi. It has so far seen the opening of photo shows by artists from various parts of Viet Nam such as Do Dien Khanh from the central province of Khanh Hoa and the Hue Photographers' club.

Photo exhibitions on Viet Nam are taking place in five major exhibition centres in Tokyo, vividly picturing the daily life of the Vietnamese people in all parts of the country.

Yutaka Ohira, Director of the organising board, said most Japanese have only known Viet Nam as a heroic nation against foreign aggressions, and many photo exhibitions on this topic have been held in Japan.

That's why the Japanese Photographers Association has decided to change the topic and expected the on-going programme that focuses on post-war Viet Nam will help bring Japanese an overall view on Vietnamese people and land, Ohira said.

With almost 300 pictures, the authors have won praises from their Japanese colleagues and audiences for the contents and techniques they have revealed in their work.

The exhibition on children by Ba Han has shown the honesty and pureness of the masters of the Vietnamese future while pictures taken by Hoai Linh have left in the hearts of Japanese audiences beautiful images of a peaceful Ha Noi with a millennium history.

The Viet Nam Month is part of an annual programme on Asian photographs sponsored by the Japanese Photographers Association and the Japanese Foreign Ministry.