Ha Giang, the far North of Vietnam

Thanks all! Okay I think it would be nice if I can show some photos of landscape / still life here though I am not so confident about that topic

#10: Here's what we call "Dong Van GeoPark" with a unique geography condition in Vietnam. Read more here

1304_HGiang_33_fomapan_rodinal by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

#11: Rice terrace

1304_HGiang_02_fomapan_rodinal by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

#12: I was looking forward to Lung Cu flag pole from the border with Chinese

1304_Hgiang_27_tri-x_rodinal_1 by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

#13: View from the top of "Ma Pi Leng pass", which was completed in 1960 aimed to connect the remote area of Northernmost Vietnam. Read more here

1304_HGiang_32_fomapan_rodinal by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

#14

1304_Hgiang_08_tri-x_rodinal_1 by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

#15

1304_Hgiang_04_tri-x_rodinal_roll1 by kiemchacsu, on Flickr
 
Hi kiemchacsu - thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures. I truely like the feelings and emotions you have captured. I really like #2 pic from your first post - it has an very appealing temporal never ending feeling to it, and the dog vs. couple creates an pleasing triangle dimesion. I also really like pic #5 which almost has a 3D feel created by the depth of field.

Funny enough, I read your post just after returning from Ha Giang. As I'm living in Hanoi I had the pleasure of visiting Ha Giang last week (during the national holidays)..I can honestly say that it's one of, if not the most beuatiful and interesting area/region I have never visited. I have never seen such a dramatic mountainous landscape combined with very little influence from moderne society. This combined with the etnic minority people and villages which makes it an extremly interesting region - and a heaven for photographers:)

I have posted some of my pics from the trip below. It's not quite the same style (or high quality level) as presented by you, and I do by no means intend to hijack your thread - but I would just like to share some pics with you from this stunning region:) It is most definitely not the last time I visit Ha Giang, and inspried by
you I'll will bring my film camera next time..

1.

Ha Giang til Flickr_-4 by DemoDres, on Flickr

2.

Ha Giang til Flickr_-3 by DemoDres, on Flickr

3.

Ha Giang til Flickr_ by DemoDres, on Flickr

4

Ha Giang til Flickr_-5 by DemoDres, on Flickr

5

Ha Giang til Flickr_-7 by DemoDres, on Flickr

6

Ha Giang til Flickr_-8 by DemoDres, on Flickr

7

Ha Giang til Flickr_-9 by DemoDres, on Flickr

8

Ha Giang til Flickr_-11 by DemoDres, on Flickr

9

Ha Giang til Flickr_-12 by DemoDres, on Flickr

10

Ha Giang til Flickr_-15 by DemoDres, on Flickr

11

Ha Giang til Flickr_-14 by DemoDres, on Flickr

12

Ha Giang til Flickr_-17 by DemoDres, on Flickr
 
Demodres said:
Hi kiemchacsu - thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures. I truely like the feelings and emotions you have captured. I really like #2 pic from your first post - it has an very appealing temporal never ending feeling to it, and the dog vs. couple creates an pleasing triangle dimesion. I also really like pic #5 which almost has a 3D feel created by the depth of field.

Funny enough, I read your post just after returning from Ha Giang. As I'm living in Hanoi I had the pleasure of visiting Ha Giang last week (during the national holidays)..I can honestly say that it's one of, if not the most beuatiful and interesting area/region I have never visited. I have never seen such a dramatic mountainous landscape combined with very little influence from moderne society. This combined with the etnic minority people and villages which makes it an extremly interesting region - and a heaven for photographers:)

I have posted some of my pics from the trip below. It's not quite the same style (or high quality level) as presented by you, and I do by no means intend to hijack your thread - but I would just like to share some pics with you from this stunning region:) It is most definitely not the last time I visit Ha Giang, and inspried by
you I'll will bring my film camera next time..
Click to expand...

Hi Demodres,

It's really a pleasure to read your text above. Not only because I am encouraged but also I know that Ha Giang has one more person (especially a foreigner) that fall in love with it. I do enjoy to see your photos here since they gave me another view of this land through a different perspective.

Cheers,
 
Hi kiemchacsu - thanks and I'm glad if my photos have inspired you, or given you some new perspectives/ideas for future Ha Giang shots..I justed looked at your pics agian, they are really great and very inspiring for future trips to the far north:)

Also, some really nice photo essays you have for the Hoi An, railway neighbour and fisk market - well done!

Any tips for buying film and development in Hanoi? I recently found the Zone 5 cafe, Số 5 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền, which did a great job developing and scanning a medium format film of mine.
 
Well, two and 1/2 years has passed until I got a chance to visit Ha Giang again. This time, I loaded my M2 and M3 with color films.
The weather was super cold around 0-2C. You guys from North America may giggle but it's true that for -5C for us is extremely freezing. I had chance to visit some locations that I never been there before. However, to be honest, the unfavorable weather condition had discouraged me to get off the car to take photos.
Anyways, enjoy:

1
214-1601_M3-90_04_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr

2
213-1601_M2-35_29_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr

3
211-1601_M2-35_31_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr

4
211-1601_M2-35_21_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr

5
211-1601_M2-35_16_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr
 
how did I miss this thread earlier?
Ha Giang has been highest on my priority list of places that I want to visit, resp. drive around on a motorcycle. So far have only done that around nearby areas which are a bit similar but Ha Giang must be the most spectacular! The photos showing the life of the local people make it even more attractive again. Beautiful photos, thank you very much for showing!

..
Wouter imo makes very valuable points. This problem stems from naive perception of the viewer and less from the photographer resp. only as much as he intends to feed these and I don't think that this is the particular case here. Anybody who has enough experience of similar places easily can see the hardship of the lives shown in these photos. Those who don't will rather see their projections. This applies to viewing any photo, specially and 'naturally' when someone views a photo of a culture and reality of which he has no personal experience and, if at all, little knowledge of. Views of traditional cultures generally tend to be romanticized.
However to the very correct and rather pessimistic view:
Wouter said:
..As outside pressure increases (by market forces or adverse government policies) these vulnerabilities tend to increase and the villagers have little to defend themselves, as their equilibrium of subsistence/survival is very precarious.
Click to expand...
I'd like to add that increasing contact with the 'outside', specially through internet and the exposure, communication and 'education' that comes with it imo has, not only but predominantly, an enormous positive impact, specially to 'traditional' cultures which are often marked by feudal dependencies and exploitation which can operate more easily when secluded.
 
kiemchacsu said:
Recently, I had a chance to visit Ha Giang again. That was my third time to be there but I always feel exited, the reason? May the pictures could explain some things. :)

Some notes from Wikipedia for brief instruction

And here we go, some pictures from that trip



Ha Giang 11/2011 by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

2

1111_58_M3_BW400CN by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

3

1111_59_M3_BW400CN by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

4

1111_67_M3_BW400CN by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

5

1111_70_M3_BW400CN by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

6

1111_45_M3_BW400CN by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

P.S: sorry for the confusion in the file name, it was a mistake while naming the scanned file. The film was FOMAPAN 100. Leica M6 | 35/2 V4
Click to expand...


Beautiful, documentary work, please let us know when your book gets published! This is the real deal!
Darya
 
Another great thread started by Trung. :) I like the B&W treatment of the Highlands, but color does offers a different feel: lots of green vegetation, for example.
 
hi andreas,

you flooded my flickr stream, but i like it, thank you.
you should visit hagiang soon, it is changing very fast. i was very lucky to be there 9 years ago for the first time, still i could see the purity of culture and living style.

kuuan said:
how did I miss this thread earlier?
Ha Giang has been highest on my priority list of places that I want to visit, resp. drive around on a motorcycle. So far have only done that around nearby areas which are a bit similar but Ha Giang must be the most spectacular! The photos showing the life of the local people make it even more attractive again. Beautiful photos, thank you very much for showing!

..
Wouter imo makes very valuable points. This problem stems from naive perception of the viewer and less from the photographer resp. only as much as he intends to feed these and I don't think that this is the particular case here. Anybody who has enough experience of similar places easily can see the hardship of the lives shown in these photos. Those who don't will rather see their projections. This applies to viewing any photo, specially and 'naturally' when someone views a photo of a culture and reality of which he has no personal experience and, if at all, little knowledge of. Views of traditional cultures generally tend to be romanticized.
However to the very correct and rather pessimistic view:

I'd like to add that increasing contact with the 'outside', specially through internet and the exposure, communication and 'education' that comes with it imo has, not only but predominantly, an enormous positive impact, specially to 'traditional' cultures which are often marked by feudal dependencies and exploitation which can operate more easily when secluded.
Click to expand...
 
thank you darya, i am still doing documentary work of places i visited. i really dont know what the outcome would be, but your suggestion of a book sounds a great idea. let's see how things go.

darya151 said:
Beautiful, documentary work, please let us know when your book gets published! This is the real deal!
Darya
Click to expand...
 
thanks, that was exactly what i was thinking before the 5th trip to hagiang. i do think that color photos do convey a fresh atmosphere to depict this region.

Rico said:
Another great thread started by Trung. :) I like the B&W treatment of the Highlands, but color does offers a different feel: lots of green vegetation, for example.
Click to expand...
 
kiemchacsu said:
hi andreas,

you flooded my flickr stream, but i like it, thank you.
you should visit hagiang soon, it is changing very fast. i was very lucky to be there 9 years ago for the first time, still i could see the purity of culture and living style.
Click to expand...

haha, flooding..2 comments and a few favorites.. actually you deserve more floods :)
Right, I should. But how about the changes? Are you confident that the 'purity' was all that 'pure'? Since the early 1980s I have been frequenting many, including very remote places around Asia. Also that time visitors who had come some years earlier had told me that I had come late and had missed the 'original'. I keep on hearing the same, nowadays obviously rather from people who had arrived for the fist time later than me. Visitors lament the rapid changes but I have found that most 'locals', specially the young are rather happy about them and for very good reasons.
 
Yes you are right about the originality. No one knows what is the "real" authenticity but the fact is: it has been changing. I am not saying that change is good or bad for people who living there, but imo I'd prefer to see the old style of living (in my case Hagiang in the time 9 years ago) rather than current situation. For instance: now many "soil-wall" houses have been replaced with "brick and concrete" houses, that for me damage the authenticity of Hagiang quite a lot. Many things else are changed also. May be I am too selfish, next time I should ask the local people whether they prefer the old or new living style.

214-1601_M3-90_36_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr 211-1601_M2-35_10_kodak200 by Trung Nguyen, on Flickr

kuuan said:
haha, flooding..2 comments and a few favorites.. actually you deserve more floods :)
Right, I should. But how about the changes? Are you confident that the 'purity' was all that 'pure'? Since the early 1980s I have been frequenting many, including very remote places around Asia. Also that time visitors who had come some years earlier had told me that I had come late and had missed the 'original'. I keep on hearing the same, nowadays obviously rather from people who had arrived for the fist time later than me. Visitors lament the rapid changes but I have found that most 'locals', specially the young are rather happy about them and for very good reasons.
Click to expand...
 
kiemchacsu said:
Yes you are right about the originality. No one knows what is the "real" authenticity but the fact is: it has been changing. I am not saying that change is good or bad for people who living there, but imo I'd prefer to see the old style of living (in my case Hagiang in the time 9 years ago) rather than current situation. For instance: now many "soil-wall" houses have been replaced with "brick and concrete" houses, that for me damage the authenticity of Hagiang quite a lot. Many things else are changed also. May be I am too selfish, next time I should ask the local people whether they prefer the old or new living style.
Click to expand...

Hi Trung, no doubt about that! the buildings that use local, natural materials only certainly are much more picturesque and visually interesting than e.g. those that use corrugated roofs, traditional clothes as compared to jogging pants, woven basket vs. plastic containers asf. asf. But I am rather certain that the people prefer living in the brick house, that it is a jump in quality of housing when compared to living in the one made from soil.

Photography always 'selects'. Outsiders from more 'developed' places often are fascinated by 'the old', e.g. also visitors to Hanoi will be more attracted by a small, old local shop while most locals have a different 'filter' and usually may prefer to show the new, a modern shopping complex, right? Never a problem for individual photos and it is natural to be fascinated by the traditional that is about to disappear and it is right to document that! Only If one was doing a set that is trying to, or that will be perceived as showing reality one may want to aim for a representative 'mix', in the case of a fast changing society focus on the change itself.

The photos of your first post are very good, fascinating! Even if I went right away I hardly would see that, they are already as if from a time passed. From you later photos one can see how much the place already must have changed. Good not to see seemingly freezing people any more but, in your last photos in colour, modern winter jackets, the washing machine and the motorcycle in front of the big house, very interesting also the woman carrying buckets full of water
 
I am watching those pictures and i am wondering if these people suffer from the "what-are-you-going-to-do-with-this-picture-you-just-took" syndrome that is so common in western modern societies....

Or at least, most people seem to ask me...
 
p.giannakis said:
I am watching those pictures and i am wondering if these people suffer from the "what-are-you-going-to-do-with-this-picture-you-just-took" syndrome that is so common in western modern societies....

Or at least, most people seem to ask me...
Click to expand...


They really don't mind it at all.
 
@kuuan:

Thanks for your kind words. Yes photography is very selective. As I already mentioned in my Hanoi thread, I want to document the cities, Places that I visited, and of course with my very personal perspective.

I'm very happy that you realized The changes in the time of 5 years span. Somehow my intentions are fulfilled.
 
Let me add my voice to the chorus of praise for your images--not just these, but others of yours I've seen on this site. Thanks for sharing!
 
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