French photographer Nicolas Cornet is holding an exhibition at the French cultural center L'Espace in Hanoi to introduce a collection of nearly 50 photos featuring Vietnamese pagodas, Nhan Dan newspaper reports.

The collection is from about 30,000 photos that he has taken in his visits to nearly 100 pagodas around Vietnam since 2014. The photos offer a rare look into the cultural, spiritual and architectural values of old pagodas, some of them very well-known among the Vietnamese and foreign tourists such as Tran Quoc and Mot Cot pagodas in Hanoi, But Thap Pagoda in Bac Ninh Province, Pho Minh Pagoda in Nam Dinh Province, and Keo Pagoda in Thai Binh Province.

“I want to save the images of Vietnamese cultural heritage. Through these photos, I hope people will be aware of the impacts of socio-economic development on cultural heritage,” Cornet said in a statement.

Earlier in June, the photographer launched his photo book “Vietnam Pagodas” in HCMC, depicting more than 30 pagodas across the country.

Distinctive architectures of Vietnamese pagodas from north to south are featured on 250 pages of the book in both English and French.

Cornet studied at Vevey Applied Arts School in Switzerland. He has worked for many newspapers and magazines such as L’esporesso, Mare, Le Monde, D-La Repubblica and Siette Leguas.

He has frequently traveled to Vietnam over the past 30 years, with a huge interest in the country’s culture, history and architecture, especially old pagodas and their significance in the cultural and spiritual life of local people.

Cornet’s exhibition on Vietnamese pagodas runs until December 31.

SGT/VNA