An exhibition featuring documentary photos of Hanoi in the beginning of the 20th century opened in HCMC on October 10.
Hanoi xua displays 150 photographs of the capital city’s people, life and architecture in first years of last century taken from local and foreign sources.
The photographs are divided into three categories.
Hanoi truyen thong cua nguoi Viet (Traditional Hanoi of Vietnamese People) has photos that depict its people, streets, temples, trading and cultural activities.
Dau vet xua con ton tai duoi thoi Phap thuoc (Old Vestiges during the French Colonisation period) presents photographs of ancient architectural wonders that have survived French colonisation, like the Chua Mot Cot (One-pillar Pagoda) and the Khue Van Cac (Literature Constellation) of Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) that was built more than a 1,000 years ago. Several ancient vestiges were destroyed during the French colonisation.
The exhibition also features photos of architectural works of the French and cultural activities during French occupation. The City Court, the Hanoi Opera House and the Notre Dame Cathedral were built during the French colonial era and still exist now.
The Hanoi Xua exhibition is organised by the Xua va Nay (Past and Present) Magazine and the HCMC Museum to mark 55 years of the capital’s liberation and celebrate its 1,000th anniversary.
It will also open at the Can Tho Museum in Can Tho City from November 15 to December 15, 2009; at 16 Tran Hung Dao in Dalat City from December 1 to 10, 2009; at Trung Vuong Theatre in Danang City from January 1 to 10, 2010; and at Hanoi Library in the capital from January 25 to February 5, 2010.