Nhan Dan Online- A photographic exhibition capturing the beauty of Italian women by Vietnamese photographer Nguyen Viet Thanh opens today in Ly Thai To Square in Hanoi.

The photographic exhibition “Mediterranean beauty”, organised by the Embassy of Italy in Hanoi within the Cultural Season “Spring of Passion for Woman” shoots of everyday women’s life taken by Nguyen Viet Thanh during his travels in Italy.

Thanh said that during his first trip to Italy, he was so excited that he took thousands of pictures in the first week alone.

“What most surprises me of Italy is the resemblance of its people with Vietnamese: I was really impressed by the warmth of the Italian people, their spirit and open mind helpfulness,” Thanh said.

“Rarely in other parts of the world I felt so comfortable... particularly women, in Italy, are always ready to give you a smile. Their (golden-olive) skin, dark air and eyes were remembering me of Vietnamese women.”

“ But Italian girls have something that you can’t explain within their eyes, making them particularly charming... I came to think that maybe it’s really the Mediterranean warm and crystalline sea which moulded the beauty and the looks of Italian women...”

After graduation in archaeology from Hanoi University of Culture, Nguyen Viet Thanh started pay his attention to photography. Courses for journalist photographers in Vietnam, Thailand and Germany have helped Thanh to develop a particular vision on differences of various localities, to realize their specialties and hidden beauty.

Since 1994, Thanh has been working as a reporter for Vietnam News. In three continuous yeas, from 2003 to 2005, Thanh had received the second prize for Vietnam News Agency Press Photography.

He also won the Silver Medal of National Press Photography contest in 2004 and the Golden Prize of Asia Press Photo contest for Daily Life in 2006.

The exhibition runs until May 15.

By D.T