The photography exhibition "Khanh Hoa - Sea Journey of the Four Bays" is open free of charge to residents and tourists from August 24 to September 25 at the Provincial Convention Center (No. 46 Tran Phu, Nha Trang Ward). Featuring 42 works by famous photographers, taken in 4 bays: Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, Van Phong, and Vinh Hy, the exhibition is not only an artistic activity but also an effort to systematize and build an in-depth tourism brand identity for the bays, contributing to creating an image heritage for Khanh Hoa province.
Diverse colors
Coming to the exhibition, the public can view the work "Champa Eyes - Memories in the Gaze" by author Ly Hoang Long, capturing the moment of a Cham woman with a traditional ceramic water jar on Nam Cuong sand dune. Along with that is the work "Van Phong Panorama - Where the Horizon Opens Wide" by author Quan Shotgun, capturing a moment at the Ran Trao Marine Protected Area in Van Phong Bay; the work "Nha Trang - Reaching Out to the Grand Ocean" by author Khanh Phan, capturing moments of Nha Trang Bay... Each work is a slice. When placed in the same journey, the works create a visual memory of the land of Khanh Hoa with timeless values.
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| Vinh Hy Bay (Vinh Hai Commune) is rated as one of the most beautiful bays in Vietnam. Photo: MANH HUNG |
Speaking with us, Mr. Ly Hoang Long - photographer and curator of the photo exhibition "Khanh Hoa - Sea Journey of the Four Bays" shared that creative camps often gather a large number of artists to go on field trips in groups, which easily leads to overlapping shooting angles. The "Khanh Hoa - Sea Journey of the Four Bays" project chose a different path. The program began with a careful selection of authors; right from the start, the Organizing Committee clearly assigned each photographer to be in charge of a separate bay. Creative activities were carried out independently in the bays: Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, Van Phong, and Vinh Hy.
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| The work 'Nha Trang Bay - Morning Rhythm by the Bay' by photographer Khanh Phan. |
Up to now, in the minds of many tourists, Khanh Hoa is often only vaguely imagined with the beauty of blue sea and white sand. This photo project aims at a higher goal: to build an in-depth brand identity, helping the public clearly identify the geographical, natural, and cultural characteristics of each bay through press, exhibitions, photo books, and a website expected to launch in the near future. Besides the wild island scenery and nature of rocks and trees, the photographers also went deep into the daily life, traditional crafts, and indigenous architecture of each land. The convergence of artistic works in this sea journey is expected to become a bridge, bringing the cultural values and rustic life of the coastal people of Khanh Hoa closer to domestic and international tourists.
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| The work 'Van Phong Bay - Sea Journey on the Waves' by photographer Quan Shotgun. |
According to Mr. Ace Le - Editor-in-Chief of Art Nation, art advisor of the exhibition, "Khanh Hoa - Sea Journey of the Four Bays" starts from creating identity and systematizing the values that already belong to this land, thereby transforming them into a structured positioning strategy. At that point, photography not only records beauty but also becomes a language of positioning, creating visual memories and step-by-step forming an image heritage. Culture becomes a resource, images become assets, and identity becomes an experience. "Sea Journey of the Four Bays" is no longer just a story told about Khanh Hoa, but step-by-step becomes a value system created, nurtured, and truly belonging to Khanh Hoa.
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| A work taken in Cam Ranh Bay. Photo: Provided by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
Comrade NGUYEN LONG BIEN - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee: The photography exhibition "Khanh Hoa - Sea Journey of the Four Bays" is not only artistically meaningful but also an activity serving information, propaganda, introduction, and promotion of the unique values of nature, culture, and people of Khanh Hoa. Each work is a perspective, an expression of the land, people, and cultural values of the locality. Thereby, contributing to connecting tourism spaces, step-by-step forming tourism products and journeys suitable for the province's development orientation. Khanh Hoa province hopes that from this exhibition activity, it will step-by-step build, supplement, and effectively exploit image resources for propaganda, promotion, tourism promotion, cultural exchange, and destination communication.
Creating an image heritage
Mrs. Thai Thi Le Hang - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism shared, "Khanh Hoa - Sea Journey of the Four Bays" is built on 3 layers of consistent values: Nature - People and Culture - Future of Khanh Hoa. Nature creates the source of identity; the ocean nurtures livelihoods, beliefs, heritage, and cultural life over generations; new drivers in infrastructure, marine economy, tourism, and connectivity are opening up a new development space for Khanh Hoa.
The value of positioning does not stop at how Khanh Hoa is recognized, but in the ability to transform identity into values that tourists can actually see, experience, and remember. From the images of Khanh Hoa taken and exhibited in this event, to the journeys connecting the four bays, cultural-artistic, sports, culinary products, and new experiences... "Sea Journey of the Four Bays" aims to form a destination ecosystem nurtured and developed over time. When identity becomes an experience, that is also when culture and tourism become resources to create a new position for Khanh Hoa - a coastal cultural destination of regional and international stature.
THAI THINH
