A photo exhibition on Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority people in Vietnam kicked off in Huong Hoa district of the central province of Quang Tri on March 7.

People in Huong Hoa district of Quang Tri province look at the photos together with Hungarian anthropologist Vargyas Gabor (centre) 

The event was jointly organised by the Embassy of Hungary in Hanoi and the People’s Committee of Huong Hoa district.

As many as 75 photos captured by Hungarian anthropologist Vargyas Gabor are being showcased, which depict the daily life, beliefs, and traditions of the Bru-Van Kieu people – an ethnic group living in the upland areas of Southeast Asia, and one of the 53 ethnic groups in Vietnam. 

Huong Hoa district is home to a large number of people of Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic descent. 

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Huong Hoa district Pham Trong Ho said the photo collection holds great meaning for the conservation and development of the cultural and traditional values of the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic group.

The exhibition runs until March 30, with all of the photos be presented to the locality afterwards.

The Bru-Van Kieu, a Mon-Khmer language group, live mostly in mountainous areas of the central provinces of Quang Tri, Quang Binh, and Thua Thien-Hue with a population of around 74,500.

The group originally lived in the central part of Laos and migrated to Vietnam amid historical changes, inhabiting the western part of Quang Tri province. The group settled in the area of Van Kieu mountain and were later named after this mountain.

Bru-Van Kieu families are typically patriarchal, with the oldest man as the homeowner. When this man dies, his power and property are passed to his oldest son. Daughters are not entitled to inheritance. –VNA