Winners take photos with the organizer of the contest. (Cre: Heritage).

This year’s contest lasted for six months, from March 1 to August 31, 2019, and saw participation from a large number of photographers. There were 183 photo albums – equivalent to 2,500 single photos – in the Photo Album category; 474 submissions in the Cover Photo category; and 43 photos promoting Vietnam Airlines in the Single Photo category. 

Heritage Magazine Editor-in-Chief  Le Hoang Dung presents prizes to two winning photographers. (Cre: Heritage).

For the final round, eight judges selected 16 winning photos from the top three entries of each month. The Photo Album category and the Cover Photo category each included a Special Prize, a First Prize, and five Runner-up Prizes. In contrast, the Single Photo category had two Runner-up prizes. The winners were mostly experienced in professional photography and members of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists.

“The Ethnic Diversity of Northern Vietnam” album by Alden Anderson (an American living in Vietnam) and “New Day at Tuyen Lam Lake” by Nguyen Tan Tuan won special prizes in the Photo Album category and the Cover Photo category, respectively. These works received critical acclaim for their employed themes, artistic camera angles, and unique layouts.

A photo of “The Ethnic Diversity of Northern Vietnam” album by Alden Anderson. (Photo: Heritage).

A photo of “Tau Sai Ritual Ceremony of Dao Son Dau Ethnic Group” by Thanh The Vinh. (Photo: Heritage).

Photo tours under this year’s contest – including one to Myanmar (April 2019) and the other to the Central Highlands (November 2019) – also produced excellent results. Since 2015, ten photo tours have been held so far under the Heritage Photographic Contest – Journey of Heritages, which have become a trademark of the contest and have captured the attention of various photographers. These tours have gained renown amongst photographers thanks to their efficient organization — allowing for many high-quality pieces to be produced.

At the 2019 Vietnam Airlines Festa – Christmas event, the “Journey of Heritages 2019” exhibition was held to showcase winning photos and photo albums, along with dozens of artwork submissions shot during the two photo tours to Myanmar and the Central Highlands. Vietnam Airlines Festa is a recurring activity co-operated by Vietnam Airlines and the Hanoi People’s Committee to promote the culture and people of Vietnam as well as to create a recreational platform for the residents and tourists of Hanoi.

Nguyen Mai Huong-COMM