A ten-day exhibition is ongoing in Ho Chi Minh City, showcasing photos capturing the worrying reality of air pollution in Vietnam.

Running from April 17 to 28 at the Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City in District 1, the event features outstanding works of the “Portray Air, Expose Pollution” photo contest that wrapped up in February.

The photo competition was jointly organized by the Center of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) and the German Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City from December 21 to February 1, aiming to raise people’s awareness of air pollution and encourage real actions on protecting the environment.

Thirty-four most impressive entries were chosen out of 732 works are being showcased at the ten-day exhibition, and will continue to be on display at galleries around Ho Chi Minh City to convey the message of fighting against air pollution, the main cause of lung cancer.

Every year, approximately seven million people around the world die of lung cancer, and nearly a fifth of them are children under five years old.

A photo depicting a toxic atmosphere of gas and fumes covering Ho Chi Minh City by Phan Thi Khanh.

Air pollution in Vietnam caused the death of 60,000 people in 2016 due to articulation disorders and respiratory diseases as well as decreased the gross domestic product (GDP) by five percent each year, according to statistics.

Vietnam suffered economic loss worth an estimated US$9.86-12.45 billion from air pollution in 2013, with Ho Chi Minh City accounted for 1.47 percent of the damage, or $117-183 million, according to a research by Fulbright University Vietnam.

The top prize of the “Portray Air, Fight Pollution” photo contest was awarded to Nguyen Thanh Chung, whose work is entitled, “A hub of thermal power plants in northern Vietnam”.

Nguyen Thanh Chung smiles with pride in front of his award-winning photo. Photo: Hong Van / Tuoi Tre

“The image of toxic exhaust from factories in the red sunset really appealed to me, so I decided to capture the moment without hesitation,” he talked of his award-winning photo.

Chung shared that he took up photography as a hobby in 2016 and shot this photo by chance on his way searching for beautiful scenery in northern Vietnam.

The air pollution reality in Vietnam was also ‘exposed’ through many other works in different ways and forms, including photos of rice paddy fields on fire or people suffocated by polluted air during rush hour.

Below are some of the photos being exhibited.

The third runner-up photo, “Let's count to three and hold our breath together,” by Nguyen Minh Tan.

A photo depicting a security guard wearing a gauze mask because of the polluted air by Rodrigo Soto.

The runner-up photo, “Bao Loc covered in smoke”, by Le Van Cuong.

The third runner-up photo, “Thermal-power plant’s fumes in the beauty of world’s natural wonder” by Tran Ngoc Nam.

“Picking up garbage” by Pham Huy Dang

The third runner-up photo of a bird trying to survive in the polluted environment by Tran Van Tuy.

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