The photograph was taken atop Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province, the apex of southern Vietnam, standing tall at 986 meters. This photo earned him an Honorable Mention in the Nature category for Professional Photographers in the International Black & White Photography Contest 2023.

The photograph was taken atop Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province, the apex of southern Vietnam, standing tall at 986 meters. Photo: Tran Tuan Viet

On the morning of October 12, 2023, Tran Tuan Viet and his friends took the earliest cable car to the top of Ba Den Mountain to hunt clouds.

Ba Den Mountain, known as the ‘roof’ of southern Vietnam, is a site of immense sacred significance, housing numerous Buddhist pagodas and temples. During the Lunar New Year, the mountain attracts a large number of visitors who come to offer prayers for peace and prosperity.

This is the highest mountain in Southern Vietnam. On the top of the mountain is the Tay Bo Da Son Buddha statue which is 72 m high, and has set the record of "The tallest bronze Buddha statue in Asia.”

As an experienced photographer, Tuan Viet said he often looks at the weather forecast, and cloud and wind prediction before shooting sessions. "Nothing can predict the cloud pattern on this mountain. That day, the apps did not even report that there would be clouds here," he said.

Going through the thick fog to reach the top, the photographer and his companion looked for a corner to capture the perfect moments.

"When we started flying the drone high, a sea of white, floating clouds began to rush in. From the top of the mountain to the top of the Buddha statue, it is only about 100 meters high, but the cloud formation appeared very strange," he remarked, "During a few moments the clouds were low, the sun was at a higher pressure and pushed them down close to the top of the mountain to reveal the Buddha statue. We were fortunate to encounter that scene.”

To take this photo, Viet flew the flycam about 1 km away to capture the panoramic view of the mountain with the Buddha statue amidst the magical sea of clouds.

The two photographers used up 8 batteries, about 280 minutes, to record outstanding images of the sea of clouds that day.

"It's better to be lucky than smart," the aspiring photographer shared when he was fortunate enough to witness the breathtaking scenery the first time he came here.

"Mud Wrestling Festival". Photo: Tran Tuan Viet

"No matter how big or small an award is, it is a recognition of my efforts. When I received the award, I felt very proud of my work and the beauty of my homeland,” he said with pride.

In 2023, Tran Tuan Viet traveled across Vietnam 3 times, recording and promoting the beauty of his homeland. Participating in this contest, the photographer brought 2 photos to compete. One of them is the work "Mud Wrestling Festival" which reached the top 4 best single photo works in the category of the contest with the theme "Rise”.

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