Trung Du Wakes Up by Bui Viet Duc. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

Five Vietnamese photographers were honored at a prize named First Half of 2021 Smile World, which announced its final result on Nov. 11. Among them, Bui Viet Duc won a silver prize in Beauty of Nature category.

The photo is called Trung Du Wakes Up, where Bui Viet Duc captured the early morning scene of green tea hills in Long Coc, Phu Tho Province.

"It is one of the most beautiful tea hills in Vietnam. There are early mornings, dew, clouds floating on the tea hill, it is an attractive eco-tourism destination. In late autumn and early winter, when the tea hill is covered with a magical mist, it is a beautiful picture like a fairyland", said the photographer.

He won US$1,000 for the Silver Prize in the Beauty of Nature category. The beautiful hills bring many economic benefits for the locals. Thus, the photo represents many large and small hills alternating with successive messages.

Honorable Mentions

1. Fisherman in the Nipa Palm Forest - Khanh Phan

Photographer Khanh Phan won the Bronze Prize in the Documentary and Travel category. Her photo is a fisherman in the middle of the nipa palm forest in Quang Ngai.

The pond in the middle of the forest is a vestige of the war. The forest, the "green lung" of Quang Ngai, has an area of about 10 hectares is where many locals make their livings.

Fisherman the Nipa Palm Gorest by Khanh Phan. Photo by Smile World International Photography Award

This place also attracts visitors with the biodiversity of marine species such as fish, shrimp, and crab. Tourists like to paddle under the coconut trees to enjoy nature.

2. Harvesting Water Lilies - Nguyen Tan Tuan

Photographer Nguyen Tan Tuan received the Excellent Award in the Open category with "Harvesting Water Lilies".

Harvesting Water Lilies by Nguyen Tan Tuan. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

Taken in a pond in Moc Hoa District in the Mekong Delta province of Long An, the photo captures a woman in a conical hat harvesting water lilies before taking them to sell or cook.

Water lilies, which blossom during the rainy season, are used for decoration and to make tea. Their stalks are edible and can be eaten raw with either fermented paste or braised sauce or cooked in sour soups and hotpots.

Moc Hoa boat tour is popular among tourists who want to experience the authentic southern feeling of river boating.

3. The Beauty of Fishing Nets - Nguyen Phuoc Hoai

Photographer Nguyen Phuoc Hoai also received an Excellent Award in the Open category. His photo, "The Beauty of Fishing Nets" was taken at Phu Yen province, a popular destination for photographers.

The Beauty of Fishing Nets by Nguyen Phuoc Hoai, 1 out of 7 photos submitted. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

The fishermen in Phu Yen work every day before dawn and lifting the nets out of the water requires great strength. Catching fish brings not only happiness but also the mental state that nature gave them. And view from the top, fishing nets that create very strange and beautiful shapes.

Gold Prizes in each category

In the Happy Time category, Babak Mehrafshar won the Gold prize for "Warm Heart" - A photo of a smiling British boy in Turkey.

Warm Heart by Babak Mehrafsha. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz won the Gold Award in the Beauty of Nature category for his photograph of the Buzzer Midge.

Buzzer Midge by Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

Buzzer Midge is a species of nonbiting midge (Chironomidae) found throughout areas in the Northern Hemisphere. The macro lens shows the slender brown-green midge with brown legs and the rear of the body that extends beyond the wings

"Pink Planet" by Yevhen Samuchenko won the Documentary and Travel category.

Pink Planet by Yevhen Samuchenko. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

"The first time you see the pink salt lakes of the Kherson region in Ukraine it feels as though you are looking at another planet. During the summer months, microscopic algae causes the water to turn pink and red," said Samuchenko.

The photographer chose to use a drone to convey the atmosphere of this unusual place.

Last but not least, the photo titled "The Game is Over but Life Goes On" by Budiman Hardijanto earned the Gold Award in the Open category.

The Game is Over but Life Goes On" by Budiman Hardijanto. Photo: Smile World International Photography Award

This picture is a surreal metaphor that tells how people react when they lose in a game.

Some might be getting over it and some might be desperately down.

Hardijanto deals with contradictory colors in his mind and surrealism in his soul. Hence, the photo blurs the borders between fantasy and reality.

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