A photo in the award-wining collection Tuyet Diem (Baked Salt) by Nguyen Ngoc Hoa.

Captured by photographer Nguyen Ngoc Hoa from the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, the photo collection depicts the process of making stewed salt – a kind of salt that requires baking grain salt at high temperatures until the grains turn into a smooth texture. The workers’ jobs, from collecting grain salt in the fields to loading heavy vases containing the salt into a kiln, and from firing up the kiln to straining and packaging the refined salt, have been presented vividly through the collection titled Muối Hầm Tuyết Diêm (Tuyet Diem Baked Salt).

In the Collection Category, first prize was given to Khám Phá Hang Tiên (Discover the Fairy Cave) by Nguyen Hai. The collection portrays the amazing interior of Tien Cave, which is among the largest in the cave system at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

The top five included Nghệ Nhân Vẽ Tranh Thờ Người Dao (Ethnic Dao Master of Worship Paintings) by Nguyen Huu Thong; Chùa Ve Chai (Ve Chai Pagoda) by Tran Ngoc Anh; Khám Phá Đáy Biển và Cổng Tò Vò trên Đảo Lý Sơn (Discover the Seabed and Sea Arch on Ly Son Island); and Mẫu Sơn Huyền Ảo Trong Băng Giá (Incredible Icy Mau Son Mount) by Nguyen Xuan Chinh.

Autumn on Yen Stream by Nguyen Huu Thong.

In the Cover Photo Category, Mùa Thu Suối Yến (Autumn on Yen Stream) by Nguyen Huu Thong grabbed the Special Prize, while Người Giữ Hồn Nghề (Traditional Craft Keeper) by Le Viet Khanh bagged First Prize.

The top five featured Thiếu Nữ Lô Lô (Lo Lo Young Ethnic Girl) by Huynh My Thuan; Mùa Ngô Ở Mù Cang Chải (Maize Season in Mu Cang Chai) and Rừng Xanh Hoa Chuối Đỏ Tươi (Green Forest and Red Wild Banana Flower) by Nguyen Huu Thong; Huyền Thoại Hồ Suối Tía (Legend of Suoi Tia Lake) by Nguyen Minh Tan; and Vịnh Lan Hạ (Lan Ha Bay) by Nguyen Ngoc Hoa.

Photographers Ngo Tran Hai An and Truong The Cau shared the Single Photo Category prize for Ngược Chiều Vun Vút (Runway Take Off) and Chúng Tôi An Toàn Thân Thiện (We Are Safe and Friendly), respectively.

According to the organisers, the national carrier Vietnam Airlines in-flight magazine Heritage, the contest, which ran from June 1 to August 31, was widely supported by photographers nationwide.

More than 90 collections and nearly 300 single photos were submitted to the contest, and the five judges had their work cut out to select the best cover photo from hundreds of entries. 

The winning photos, together with photos selected from the most recent Heritage photo tour to the southern central coastal region, have been introduced to the public through an exhibition, which is taking place at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, until September 25.

The photos will also be featured in different publications of Heritage, aiming to offer readers, including a large number of foreigners, a panoramic view of the Vietnamese people and their rich culture, as well as the country's stunning landscapes. VNS

New season of Heritage Journey Photography Contest kicked off

All Vietnamese and foreign photographers, living in the country and abroad, have been invited to send photos to the 2020 Heritage Journey Photography Contest, which was launched on June 1.