VietNamNet Bridge – Photographer Quang Phung has dreamt of showing off his Guom (Sword) Lake photographs for decades.


Legendary: A photo from Around Sword Lake and Beyond by photographer Quang Phung. The book features 100 photos of the life and scenery around Hoan Kiem Lake.
With the publishing of the bilingual Dao Quanh Ho Guom (Around Sword Lake and Beyond) pictorial by the Van Hoa Thong Tin (Culture and Information) Publishing House, Phung's dream has finally come true.


Nearly 100 photos from Phung's large collection, shot during the past 10 year, are set to introduce Vietnamese and foreign readers to life around Sword Lake in downtown Ha Noi.


The photographs express sentiments on city life from past until present with all the historical changes in between, he explained.


In the first of three parts, entitled The God-given Quiet Space and Beauty, the photographer portrays the beauty of Sword Lake and its significance in the lives of generations of Hanoians.


The second part, entitled Social Stories, depicts the 79-year-old artist's meditation on the society thriving around the lake, regarded by many as a mirror reflecting the ups and downs of life.


The last part, entitled For Human Soul Self – Improvement, follows the traditional process of making lotus tea at the Phung Thanh Pagoda on Kham Thien Street.


Once poetic Bao An Pagoda was destroyed by the French in 1892 and all that remains of it today is the Hoa Phong (Favourable Winds) Tower.


"I took series of shots of the Phung Thanh Pagoda, recalling Sword Lake from times gone by," Phung explained.


Phung takes his photos spontaneously and never uses photoshop, which has earned him much respect from local professional photographers.


"I respect true moments, not arrangements. I often carry my camera around with me for hours in pursuit of a subject, often ending up exhausted," he confirmed.


Phung has captured many vendors around Sword Lake whom he considers part of the cityscape. He often talks with them and understands the type of lives they lead.


"The vendors react differently and defensively to a strange lens so I often follow them around discreetly, portraying them as naturally as I can," Phung says.


The pictorial includes Phung's exclusive portraits of the legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap, composer Van Cao, painter Tran Van Can and writer Nguyen Tuan, all of which date back to the early 1970s.


The book, in part funded by the Dutch Prince Claus Fund Library and the East Meets West Foundation, additionally includes an essay by John Klienen, from the University of Amsterdam, based on veteran photographer Quang Phung.


Phung, born in the Ha Dong District of Ha Noi in 1932, started taking photos in 1954. The capital has been his prominent inspiration ever since 1970, having taken thousands of photos in its streets. Phung's work, for which he has been awarded a multitude of domestic and foreign prizes, has been exhibited in many countries around the world.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News