CAO BẰNG — The ASEAN Photo and Documentary Exhibition will be launched in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bằng on Friday. This will be the first time the province has hosted an international photo exhibition. 

The exhibition will feature around 500 photographs, of which 300 are about ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and the rest about Cao Bằng; 30 documentaries about ASEAN; and stamps and seals of ASEAN countries.

Photos displayed are arranged in themes such as beauty, traditional culture, ethnic minorities, and environmental protection work of ASEAN countries. All the exhibited photo collections and documentaries will be donated to Cao Bằng after the exhibition closes on Sunday.

The event, co-organised by the Ministry of Information and Communication and Cao Bằng’s People’s Committee, is expected to give viewers a glimpse of countries and people in the ASEAN Community, and promote mutual understanding as well as friendship and unity among ASEAN citizens.

This is also an opportunity for Cao Bằng to introduce its great economic and tourism potential to international friends.

Cao Bằng is a mountainous province in northeast Việt Nam, home to many ethnic groups like the Tày, Nùng, Mông and Dao.

It is home to the magnificent Bản Giốc waterfall, the fourth largest border waterfall; the UNESCO-recognised global geopark Non Nước Cao Bằng; and the historic site Pác Bó Cave where late President Hồ Chí Minh lived for a short time after he returned to Việt Nam from abroad to lead the Vietnamese revolution against France.

The launching ceremony of the exhibition, to take place at 3pm on Friday, will feature a music performance and be attended by ambassadors and representatives of ASEAN embassies. Delegates will also take a tour to the province’s historic relics and tourist draws.

After more than 50 years of establishment and development, ASEAN now consists of 10 members and is the third largest market in Asia with more than 650 million people. — VNS