Vietnamese lensmen win UK contest prizes with appetizing entries

By Nguyen Quy May 1, 2021 | 05:29 pm PT

Two photographs taken in Hoi An and Ha Giang have won first prizes in different categories at the U.K.’s Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Awards.

Tran Viet Van won first prize in the contest’s Street Food category with a shot of four young girls enjoying che (sweet soup) on a street in Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage site and top tourist destination in Vietnam.

Girls eat che (sweet soup) on a street in Hoi An ancient town. Photo by Viet Van Tran.

Girls enjoy che (sweet soup) in Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam. Photo by Viet Van Tran.

Street vendors selling sweet soup is a common sight in the ancient, well preserved town, especially in the streets of Hoang Dieu, Bach Dang, Phan Cu Trinh, and Nguyen Chi Thanh.

Photographer Nguyen Huu Thong bagged first prize in the "Food on the Table" category with a shot titled "Flea Market Breakfast" taken at a rural market in the northern highlands province of Ha Giang.

Nguyen Huu Thong's photo captures a breakfast scene at a rural market in Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam.

"2021 marks a very special year for Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year. On the competition’s tenth anniversary, it is wonderful that a record number of entries were received," said Phil Turnbull, CEO of Apple and Pear Australia Limited, owner of Pink Lady, and headline sponsor of the Awards since 2011.

"Almost 10,500 entries were submitted from over 70 countries and territories around the world. As the reach of the competition grows further, it continues to be a truly global inspiration and celebration of the art of food photography."

In a first for the competition, the work of finalists in the 2021 contest will be exhibited at the Royal Photographic Society's gallery in Bristol from November 20 to December 12.