LookAtVietnam – Collector Philippe Chaplain’s exhibition yesterday proved popular with expatriates and locals alike, as it unveiled images of Ha Noi’s past.

Feel the pulse: Lotus in Hoan Kiem Lake, one among hundreds of photos on Ha Noi in Chaplain’s collection. — Photo courtesy of Philippe Chaplain

Chaplain was born in 1956 in France. He visited Viet Nam in 2002 and began collecting photos on the country, especially Ha Noi.

The exhibition is part of the events commemorating Ha Noi’s 999th anniversary. Chaplain has selected photos which highlight the city’s people, the Old Quarter and Long Bien bridge.

“For me, the Old Quarter is Ha Noi’s heart,” he says. “As a foreigner, it’s wonderful for me to walk its always active streets.”

“I love watching, listening and feeling the pulse of life here.”

He hopes the exhibition will prove attractive to foreigners and younger Vietnamese as it lifts a veil on the past, and contrasts with the city today.

He has also constructed a website on Ha Noi published in Vietnamese, French and English at www.hanoilavie.com.

“Chaplain truly loves Ha Noi,” says Vu Thi Hai, vice chairwoman of the Ha Noi Union of Friendship Organisations, “despite being a foreigner he possesses a rich and valuable stock of photos.”

The exhibition will run until this Sunday at 93 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Ha Noi with support from the city’s Friendship Union and the French National Federation of Patrimony where Chaplain works as president.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News