Held by the Economic and Urban Newspaper in cooperation with the Hanoi Elderly Photography Club, the annual exhibition will run until October 10 to celebrate Hanoi's beauty and document significant turning points in the city's development.

It is one of the newspaper's initiatives to make impressions on foreign and domestic visitors who come to Hanoi during this poetic autumn.

Delegates visits the Hanoi in My Heart photo exhibition. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times

Hanoi on the rise 

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Nguyen Thanh Loi, Editor-in-Chief of Economic and Urban Newspaper/The Hanoi Times, said that the 19th edition of the photo exhibition "Hanoi In My Heart" introduces to the public 80 vivid photos, which are valuable documentary footage chronicling historical moments, memorable milestones, and brilliant achievements of Hanoi after 70 years of liberation.

"Through the photographs, viewers can experience a heroic and resilient Hanoi - one that is innovative, rich in cultural identity, and actively seeking to integrate with the region and the world," he said.

Nguyen Thanh Loi, Editor-in-Chief of the Economic and Urban Newspaper delivers a speech to kick-off the exhibition. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times

According to Nguyen Van Phuc, Chairman of the Hanoi Elderly Photography Club, since the first edition in 2004, the "Hanoi in My Heart" photo exhibition comes to the minds of many Hanoi lovers every year around the Capital Liberation Day, when the streets are covered with golden autumn leaves.

The works displayed in the exhibition faithfully reflect the cultural life and symbols of the thousand-year cultural history of Thang Long - Hanoi, preserving and promoting the national cultural identity through the lens of photographers.

In addition, they also evoke feelings about the cultured, civilized and modern capital with a spectacular rise, through vivid images of civilized, elegant Hanoians and Hanoi's friendly relations and international integration.

Spreading the capital’s beautiful images 

The works displayed in the exhibition faithfully reflect the cultural life and symbols of the millennial cultural history of Thang Long - Hanoi. Photo: Jenna Duong/The Hanoi Times

The photo exhibition "Hanoi In My Heart" continues to grow as it receives attention and feedback from many people about the photos, which show both press information and events close to daily life.

Many of the works in the exhibition have been featured in the photo column "Hanoi's Rhythm of Life" in the weekend editions of Economic and Urban Newspaper, or in the photo column "Elegant and Civilized Hanoi" in the online version of the newspaper.

By visiting the exhibition, viewers will gain a deeper understanding of a brave and heroic Hanoi, a city for peace that is soaring with its rich cultural identity, and a Hanoi that is rising to integrate with the world at large.

Trinh Hai, 93, is the author of several valuable photographs now on display in the exhibition. Photo: Jenna Duong/The Hanoi Times

The exhibition is divided into three thematic areas: "Hanoi - Heroic Capital", "Hanoi on the Path of Innovation" and "Hanoi's Breakthrough Today."

The first consists of documentary images that capture the heroic years and historical highlights of Hanoi from the liberation of the capital on October 10, 1954 to 1975.

Notable works include those with captions such as "Tran Duy Hung, Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi City Political-Military Committee, returned from Viet Bac to take over the capital", "On October 10, 1954, tens of thousands of Hanoi people poured into the streets to welcome the victorious army's liberation of the capital", or "Smile of Victory."

The second part consists of works that focus on the period between 1975 and 2008, before the extension of the capital's administrative boundaries. The third part shows images of the cultured - civilized - modern Hanoi of today, such as "The capital Hanoi is increasingly civilized and modern", "Hanoi sparkles at night" or "Hanoi aims to develop into a green - cultured - civilized - modern city."

Make a positive impression on international friends

The tourist from Switzerland takes her favourite photo at the exhibition. Photo: Jenna Duong

Being held in the spacious courtyard of the Temple of Literature, the exhibition drew the attention of many foreign tourists visiting this historic site.

Jeanette Freudiger, a tourist from Switzerland, told The Hanoi Times that this is her family’s first visit to Hanoi, with the Temple of Literature as their initial destination.

"I'm so happy to have discovered the "Hanoi in My Heart" exhibition by chance. The photo of the Red River taken from above by Pham Hung is especially fascinating. Now I understand why this famous watercourse is called the Red River. The unique red color of the river really stands out against the lush green background of the trees. In the photo, I see Hanoi with its tightly packed houses along the riverbank, it is so distinctive and fascinating," she said.

Meanwhile, Marita Crombie, a tourist from Scotland, expressed her delight at the colorful photo of the Mother Goddess by photographer Bich Hai. “The photo captures Vietnamese culture in rich detail and is completely different from our Western culture,” she told The Hanoi Times.

Visitors to the photo exhibition. Photo: Jenna Duong

"At the center of the photo are three women in splendid costumes, representing the 'Mother', surrounded by her 'children' - some dancing with fans, others preparing offerings. On the stage, models of phoenixes soar among the clouds, vividly depicting the unique characteristics of your culture," she explained.

"I also love the lotus pattern on the shirts of the characters in the photo. Coincidentally, I just bought a shirt with the same design as a souvenir of my memorable trip to Hanoi," she added.

In addition, photos of the war in the capital, Hanoi, made a strong impression on tourists. Muhammad Junaidi, a tourist from Indonesia, expressed his admiration for the resilience of Hanoians during the war.

"Vietnam has an incredible history, marked by two wars with France and the United States. I've learned that the Vietnamese people are incredibly resilient. From the ruins left by the US B-52 bombing of Hanoi in 1972, as seen in this photo by photographer Trinh Hai, they have rebuilt the city into a beautiful and modern place. I also admire President Ho Chi Minh, the outstanding leader of Vietnam," he said.

Since 2023, after being held at the Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy, the Hanoi in My Heart photo exhibition  continues to be displayed at the Cat Linh sky train station - with a stand introducing the Economic and Urban Newspaper ecosystem, helping spread the event.