Enoch said he was impressed with bikers who transported heaps of merchandise piled on their motorbikes and spent a week chasing down riders and their cargos and convincing them to pose for the camera.

A man sells ornamental fish in Hanoi on his motorbike, which has a small oxygen cylinder attached to its side. The photograph has won the grand prize in this year’s Smithsonian photo contest. Photo taken by Jon Enoch in February 2019.

His photo of one driver expertly balancing many transparent packages of ornamental fish on the back of his bike beat 59 other finalists to win the $2,500 top prize at the annual photo contest organized by Smithsonian magazine.

The magazine is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex based in Washington, D.C.

"It’s an image that crystallizes a tradition, one that may not exist for much longer," the editors of the magazine said.

"Hanoi has plans to ban motorbikes by 2030 to cut down on emissions, something that is wonderful for the environment but will certainly change how business gets done," it added.

Street vendors riding motorbikes and selling many items including ornamental fish on every street, public park and entertainment hotspot are a familiar sight in Vietnam, especially in big cities.

The millennial city of Hanoi, famous for its relics, ancient pagodas and any number of historical monuments, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, attracting millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year.

This year, the Smithcontest received 36,000 submissions sent in from 145 countries and territories.

In 2018, Vietnamese photographer Nguyen Huu Thong from the northern province of Bac Giang had won the grand prize in the same contest for his "Flea Market Breakfast" photograph taken at a rural market in the northern highlands town of Ha Giang.

Numerous photographs of Vietnamese landscapes winning international, regional and national prizes have enhanced Vietnam’s reputation as an extremely photogenic country.

Vietnamese photographers up for prestigious award

People can vote for Vietnamese photographers Nguyen Tan Tuan and Nguyen Thien for the 17th annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest's Readers' Choice Winner.

Photos of Vietnam’s natural landscapes listed in world's best nature shots by Agora

Three photos capturing Vietnam’s natural landscapes have been listed in the top 50 finalists in a nature-based photo contest by Agora, a free-to-use photography and social platform that boasts a community of more than 3.5 million users worldwide.

Photo exhibition “Vietnam: Country and People” held in Russia

A photo exhibition, themed “Vietnam: Country and People”, has been held at the Primorye State Art Gallery in Vladivostok, Russia, from February 27 to March 1.

Vietnam Art Photo Contest and Exhibition 2020 launched

The Vietnam Art Photo Contest and Exhibition 2020 was launched at a ceremony in Hanoi on February 25.

Photos, sculpture works on Vietnam held in Hungary

An exhibition featuring photos on Vietnam’s land and people and works by Hungary’s famous sculptor Farkas Aladár on Vietnam’s late President Ho Chi Minh and its struggle against the US was held in Székesfehérvár city, Hungary, on February 16.

Source: VnExpress