French photographer Réhahn Croquevielle’s love for Vietnam

Croquevielle fell in love with Vietnam’s people and landscapes during a visit here in 2007. After that trip, he returned every year to continue exploring Vietnam’s people and culture. 

In 2011, Croquevielle decided to live in Hoi An town, Quang Nam province, to pursue his passion for photographing Vietnam. He also adopted the name Réhahn Hoi An.

Réhahn has made trips to many different areas to capture the beauty of Vietnam in his photos and says the Vietnamese people are always friendly and hospitable.

“I prefer taking portraits as they capture a moment which we can never experience again. Photos of landscapes, we can do again. Each portrait reflects a story of a person and I am a collector of those stories,” he said.

In 9 years of travelling across remote parts of Vietnam by motorbike, Réhahn has taken nearly 50,000 photos. He published 150 of the best photos in his photo book “Vietnam-Mosaic of Contrasts”. 

Réhahn says what impresses him most about Vietnam is its cultural diversity. Vietnam is a picture its contrasts, with 54 ethnic minority groups, each with its own culture. 

Croquevielle says that despite rapid changes, Vietnam has preserved its traditional cultural values.

Nguyen Thi Thong, Croquevielle’s assistant, says there is a moving story behind every portrait he takes. Croquevielle sometimes goes a long way to meet again a person he has photographed to thank them and give them some gifts. 

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thong shared, “Réhahn often visits the people he has photographed and offers them some help. He uses the money earned from his photos and photo books to help those people”.

Many of Réhahn Croquevielle's photos of Vietnam have appeared in prestigious magazines and websites. 

His photo “Hidden smile” featuring 70-year-old boat rower Bui Thi Xong of Hoi An has been published on a number of US newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Mail, and National Geographic, and was voted the world’s most beautiful photo of a woman.

Ms. Xong represents Vietnamese woman who is happy and optimistic despite life’s difficulties. The photo is on display at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. 

Nguyen Thi Bich Van, the Museum’s director, noted, “The photo is very meaningful to the museum because it depicts the beauty of Vietnamese women. Apart from its beauty, it also reflects the will and kindness of Vietnamese women”.

Croquevielle plans to publish a photo book on Vietnam’s coffee culture.