Lai Xa Photography Museum was officially opened on May 15 in Lai Xa village (Kim Chung commune, Hoai Duc district) on the 125th anniversary of Lai Xa photography village (1892 – 2017). The museum, built by the village community in the middle of the village next to Dun Communal House, is the place to showcase and introduce the village’s photographic tradition.
Lai Xa photography village with the first impression the late 19th century and early 20th century is the birthplace of Vietnamese photography. In 1892, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khanh (born in Giap Tuat 1874 in Lai Xa village) opened the first portrait studio named Khanh Ky in Hang Da street (Hanoi). Since then there had been 150 additional photographic studios across the country with more than 2000 photographers, most concentrated in Hanoi with 34 studios, Saigon and southern provinces with 35 studios.
Currently, more than 80% of Lai Xa families have photographers. For many years, Lai Xa photographers have been awarded the title of photographers. Today, Lai Xa is recognized by the State as the only traditional photography village in Vietnam, and Mr. Khanh Ky is worshipped as the village’s occupational founder.
Opening Ceremony of Lai Xa Photography Museum was held on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Lai Xa Photography Village (1892 – 2017)
Lai Xa Photography Museum displays around 150 photographs, 25 writing panels and nearly 15 glass cabinets with about 150 artefacts. It is considered the first museum of photography in Vietnam. The exhibitors are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Huy, former director of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and Ms. Veronique Dollfus, a French museum design consultant. As a son of Lai Xa village, Mr. Huy also built a museum on his father, cultural activist Nguyen Van Huyen.
Cutting in the inauguration band of Lai Xa Photography Museum
The first floor of the Museum is designed as the place to welcome guests and give an overview of Lai Xa photography village. The main exhibition space of the museum is on the second floor with many themes. The first space is about Lai Xa’s photography founder, introducing the life of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khanh with the special milestone of opening the first photography studio on Hang Da street, Hanoi in 892. The second space is like a story about the Lai Xa photography studios in the past: Phuc Lai, Central photo, Luminor photo, Minh Tan, Tan Lai, Nang Xuan photography Collective, etc. Beside is a room showing the ancient photo printing space and an exhibition area with a variety of photo styles with the characteristics of the Lai Xa people. The 3rd floor of the Museum is planned to be a place of worshipping those who donated their land to build the museum and contributed to the village’s photography. However, during the opening period, the museum operates with two floors on a total area of nearly 300 m2.
Visitors to Lai Xa Photography Museum
Promoting the homeland traditions, Lai Xa people expect that Lai Xa Photography Museum together with Nguyen Van Huyen Museum and the strengths of the village’s traditional cultural heritage will help soon develop Lai Xa into a new tourist – trade village of Hanoi.
Hoai Van