Hanoi (VNA) - Photos of social life in northern Vietnam in the 19th century through the lens of French doctor Charles-Édouard Hocquard are on display at the French Cultural Center in Hanoi. His book ‘A campaign in Tonkin’ can satisfy curiosity about the people, their lifestyle and customs as well as the landscapes of the region at the end of the 19th century. Hocquard was born in 1853 in Nancy, France. He is a doctor, explorer and photographer. In 1884, he volunteered in Indochina to serve the expedition war and became a historian by photographing this land. In the following year, 1892, Hocquard used the content and the illustrations to jointly publish a book entitled “Une campagne au Tonkin” (“A Campaign in Tokin” or “Mot Chien Dich O Bac Ky” in Vietnamese version) with Librairie Hachette Publishing House. The book is pided into 23 chapters, taking readers on a journey around Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Hoa, Nam Dinh, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Phu Tho, Da Nang, Hue of doctor Hocquard over two years (1884-1886). During this journey, the author had the chance to meet people from all walks of life, from merchants, transporters, mandarins, local families and children and even King Dong Khanh (1864-1889). Hundreds of rare photos of the local people and landscapes of the new country brought Hocquard the prestigious gold medal at the Antwerp Universal Exhibition in 1885.

The book "A campaign in Tonkin" will make it debut to Vietnamese readers on October 28 at the French Cultural Center in Hanoi. A seminar will be held at 6pm to introduce the book, with the participation of Emmanuel Cerise, representative of the Île-de-France region in Hanoi, Doctor of literature Mai Anh Tuan and translator of the book Truong Quoc Toan.
In particular, 12 photos taken as illustrations for the work will also be 🃏displayed from October 23-28. Through the photos, viewers can have a close look at the politics, economy and society in northern and central Vietnam in the late 19th century.

Dao Phuong Thu, at Nha Nam Culture and Communication Company, said that it is very difficult to buy the copyright of Doctor Hocquard's photos to publish in Vietnam because it is also considered an important source of documentary heritage of the National Overseas Archives (ANOM) of Provence, France.

After a long period of negotiation, Nha Nam finally successfully obtained the copyright of 44 original photos by Dr. Hocquard to add to the book's appendix to provide readers with a valuable document,”said Dao Phuong Thu.

Emmanuel Cerise stated that "A campaign in Tonkin" is a personal report on a military campaign conducted by France from 1883 to 1886 with the aim of establishing protectionism in Tonkin.

In addition to bringing authentic perspective on the colonia꧟l land to the French at that time, the book also bღrings valuable historical facts about the lives of Tonkin people at the end of the century to today's readers.

In Vietnam, Charles-Édouard Hocquard has been known for a long time as the author of famous photos of Indochina in the late 19th century. He died in 1911 in Lyon, due to flu./.

One of the original photos of the author:

Minh Thu (Vietnam+)