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Vietnam

My interest in the work of Philip Jones Griffiths urged me to see and photograph Vietnam for myself. While painful images of a war-struck country were lodged in my memory, I was overwhelmed by beauty and gentleness…but also by progress. Vietnam is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit…the ability to forgive, to rebuild and to move on.

Kodak Sighting
Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, is a thriving metropolis and seeing the Kodak branding made me feel right at home.
Starry Night, Saigon
Undulating currents of families on motorbikes crammed the streets. The nighttime atmosphere was festive yet quiet. The lamppost light shined like a star and I thought of the Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem…so surprised was I to see Christmas being celebrated here.
Saigon Family on Motorbike
While undulating currents of families on motorbikes crammed the streets, there must have been a traffic light that stopped this family.
Cu Chi Tunnels
Demonstrations at the Cu Chi War Museum show how ingeniously and secretively the tunnels were dug and buried into the landscape. Here you see it…

Cu Chi Tunnels
And now you don’t! Where is it?
Mekong Delta Excursion
Tourism as well as fishing and agriculture have made My Tho a thriving city in the Mekong Delta. It is hard for me to imagine that the Mekong River was the dark setting for the 1979 movie, Apocalypse Now…and here I am cruising on a delightful sightseeing adventure.
Fruit as Art
During a river excursion My Tho we stopped for a taste of local fruit and to see and purchase local crafts. The fruits were delicious and fresh. I immediately became a fan of blood oranges and purchase them at home when the markets here carry them. The fruit dsplay was visually delicious as well.
Tree Root Faces
How absolutely fascinating that local artisans should use the fibrous roots as beards and hair for wizened faces. A friend had bought me such a carving as a gift many years ago and now I saw for myself the Asian art,

Riverside Advertising
My Tho in the Mekong Delta is a popular tourist center.
My Tho Pano
The rhythm of color of the docked boats caught my eye
Ha Long Bay Fishing Village
Ha Long Bay has a long history. The ancient Viet people date back 18,000 years and the fishing communities we visited still retain their unique culture.
Ha Long Bay Solitude
A lone fishing boat out in the bay and the famous karst mountains obscured by the fog…

Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is one of the world’s most beautiful bays as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2011 it was even named one of the new 7 wonders of Nature…and on the day I visited the beauty was shrouded by poor light….so I recreated reality.
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay has a long history. The ancient Viet people date back 18,000 years and the fishing communities we visited still retain their unique culture. Even when the light is wonderful, I am sometimes moved to reduce my visual field to basic art elements. The world is my palette. This image reminds me of former days doing lithography.
Disappearing Ha Long Fishing Village
Pressures of capitalism are making it difficult for the Aberdeen Fishing Village in Hong Kong Harbor to endure and I hope that Vietnam can retain its unique and ancient heritage.
The Old and the New
The Bãi Cháy Bridge is the first central-line cable-stayed bridge in Vietnam. It was completed in December 2006…just in time for my visit.

Hoi An Tourist Guides
The symmetry of the two doors, two people in the two posters and the two guides in the doorway…visual alliteration…I photographed them.
Hoi An Fisherman
At one point the river abutted the street and a solidary fisherman looked up at me as I walked by and smiled.
China Beach
The softness of the light…the warmth of the air…the quiet expanse of sand and surf….China Beach…nothing like the TV series and nothing like its panacea for escape from combat.
Thien Mu Pagoda, the Pagoda of the Heavenly Lady
The patina of time merged with color and rhythm made for closer photographic scrutiny when I edited my files.

Thien Mu Pagoda-the Pagoda of the Heavenly Lady
The patina of time merged with color and rhythm made for closer photographic scrutiny when I edited my files. Sometimes there are many possibilities.
Along the Perfume River
The river cruise, lovely as the name of the river, comes from the scent of the voluminous orchids that dropped into the river from the orchards near Huế.
Along the Perfume River
The river cruise, lovely as the name of the river, comes from the scent of the voluminous orchids that dropped into the river from the orchards near Huế.
Dragon Head on Perfume River
Some of the Perfume River tour boats were decorated to look like serpents and gave the boat ride a hint of fantasy.

To Market in Huế
To market to market to sell a fresh pig….this tricycle is filled with slaughtered pigs.
Food as Art
The food was delicious at the restaurant, Phuoc Thanh, in Huế and the presentation was visually delicious as well.
Food as Art
The food was delicious at the restaurant, Phuoc Thanh, in Huế and the presentation was visually delicious as well.
Huế Dress-maker
I couldn’t resist having a traditional Vietnamese dress made here. It is being cut out in this photograph and I will wear it at the reception of my Vietnam exhibition….yet to be determined…

Huế from Hotel Window
The skyline looks like a bustling city and Vietnam has made a giant leap into the modern era.
Nighttime in Huế
From our hotel rooftop the nighttime skyline was bejeweled with lights.
Hanoi Street Scene
The congestion…the hanging electric lines….this could be the lower east-side tenements of New York City a century ago….but no…this is Hanoi.
Hanoi Street Scene
The abundance of color and the clutter crammed my visual field and I deliberately softened the grit and grime in post processing.

Hanoi Street Vendors
The abundance of color and the clutter crammed my visual field and I deliberately softened the grit and grime in post processing.
Brooms for Sale
Business didn’t seem to be booming…
Hanoi Street Vendor
She wore a mask to protect her face from the sunlight, not the pollution.
Hanoi Flower Seller
Gorgeous clusters of flowers concealed the young woman pushing her bicycle down the street. The freshness of the bouquets contrasted greatly with the gritty locale.

Hanoi Street Scene
The blend of old with new was of constant interest.
Hanoi Hilton Interior
The infamous Maison Centrale, built during French occupation and coined Hanoi Hilton, has been cleaned up and tempered down to become a museum for tourists. High-rise buildings have replaced much of this notorious interrogation center for shot-down American pilots. American POW’s coined the nickname, Hanoi Hilton.
Pure Delight
Driving through Saigon at night, this sweet face connected with me. The taxi window separated us but our eyes locked and we were both enchanted to be in the midst of festivities.
Hoi An Street Vendor
The color and composition caught my eye as well as the grittiness of life here.

Thien Mu Pagoda, the Pagoda of the Heavenly Lady
This pagoda stands, so serene, on top of Ha Khe Hill but its history is tumultuous. In 1963 Thich Quang Duc rode from Huế to Saigon and torched himself as a gesture of defiance that set off many more acts of immolation. Today Buddhist monks live on the grounds to worship and maintain the shrine. It has seven stories and is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam.
Manikins
Western influence is apparent and if I didn’t know I was in Hanoi I could have been in an western shopping area.
Hanoi Hilton
The infamous Maison Centrale, coined Hanoi Hilton, has been cleaned up and tempered down to become a museum. High-rise buildings have replaced much of this interrogation center for shot-down American pilots. American POW’s coined the nickname, Hanoi Hilton.

Copyright © 2004–2025 Holly Gordon Photographer, Inc.