Photographer Quang Phung passed away on 20/8 due to advanced age and failing health. Meritorious Artist Tran Hung, who worked closely with Phung for years, noted the photographer's health declined over the past year. Even in his 90s, Phung carried his camera, roaming Hanoi's streets to capture daily moments.

Tran Hung remembers Phung as a composed, kind individual. "When I recall him," Tran Hung said, "I most remember his benevolent smile, which time seemed not to touch. Throughout his life, he loved beauty and yearned to capture it."

Born in Hanoi in 1932 to an intellectual family, Phung joined national salvation movements for students in the early 1950s. His foreign language and typing skills allowed him to assist the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam. In this role, he documented the French army during their final days before withdrawing from Hanoi.

Photographer Quang Phung at his home, 2025. Photo: Xuan Chinh

On 10/10/1954, Phung was among the few photographers to capture the victorious army's advance into Hanoi to reclaim the capital. One year later, he officially joined the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam. He also worked in Japan, where he translated valuable documents on Japanese culture into Vietnamese.

In 1970, Phung transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his tenure, he documented numerous significant events, including a photo series on the 1972 "Dien Bien Phu in the Air" victory and American actress Jane Fonda's visit to Hanoi.

Ho Guom (Sword Lake) was a subject Phung held dear. Through his lens, the lake's trees, its surface, street vendors, laborers, and city corners changing with seasons all captured a vibrant, intimate beauty.

According to Meritorious Artist Tran Hung, Phung documented Hanoi's simple elegance and subtly preserved the city's evolution through various eras. One photograph that struck Tran Hung depicted an ancient tree by Ho Guom, riddled with syringe needles in the 1990s. This image reflected a facet of urban life then, demonstrating Phung's willingness to confront the city's challenging realities, rather than focusing solely on its apparent beauty.

In 2011, Phung published "Dao quanh Ho Guom" (Strolling Around Ho Guom), a photo book featuring nearly 100 images from thousands he captured on the subject. Two years later, in 2013, the book earned the Grand Prize - For the Love of Hanoi at the Bui Xuan Phai Awards.

Beyond photography, Phung also translated "Path of Thunder" by South African writer Peter Abrahams, a renowned book from the 1980s.

Ha Thu