The works are curated from the 250-page photo book 'Vietnam Pagodas,' which features more than 30 pagodas, temples, and shrines Cornet documented across Vietnam between 2015 and 2018.

“Many of the sites featured in the project have since changed due to urbanization, restoration, or reconstruction,” curator Vu Khoi Nguyen said.

“These documentary photographs have therefore become records of a transitional period in Vietnam’s cultural and architectural landscape.

“‘Vietnam Pagodas’ demonstrates the power of documentary photography to preserve not only the image of a place, but also its layers of history and the human presence within it.”

The exhibition focuses on recurring themes in Cornet’s work: the relationship between people and sacred spaces, between religious practice and everyday life, and between architecture and the communities that inhabit it.

Cornet has also reissued his book 'Vietnam Pagodas.'

First released in 2018 in English and French, the new edition is now available in bilingual Vietnamese-English and Vietnamese-French versions, giving Vietnamese readers broader access to the work.

For the book, Cornet traveled to more than 40 pagodas throughout the country.

In addition to documenting the pagodas, he conducted extensive research to gain a deeper understanding of them.

Cornet said he is not a specialist in Buddhism, noting that his interests lie more in culture and art.

He is particularly drawn to details such as wood carvings, stone carvings, and traditional decorative elements found in Vietnamese pagoda architecture.

Vietnam’s pagodas – Precious treasures

“Vietnam is my second home, so I am especially interested in subjects that are unique to this country,” Cornet said.

“The book is about pagoda architecture and reflects the beliefs of the Vietnamese people.”

After nearly four decades in Vietnam, Cornet has “observed many changes that the very powerful economic expansion has had on its landscape, its cities, and its countryside.”

“Sensitive to the cultural and architectural history of Vietnam, I naturally was interested in the fate of its pagodas and their significance to the Vietnamese people,” he shared in the book.

Cornet said the book was intended to introduce Vietnam’s pagodas while documenting these spaces before many underwent restoration or reconstruction.

The idea came after he was shocked to see a historic pagoda extensively altered during a renovation project.

He noted that in countries such as France and Italy, architectural heritage is often preserved for centuries and cannot be modified without approval.

Meanwhile, what he observed during his travels around Vietnam for the book left him both impressed and concerned.

He spoke warmly of elderly people in northern Vietnam and their deep attachment to local pagodas.

At the same time, he expressed regret when historic structures undergo renovations involving new tiles, replacement roofs, or the removal of original details.

In his view, such decisions should be carefully considered by conservation experts to preserve the authenticity of heritage sites.

Nevertheless, Cornet believes attitudes toward heritage preservation are gradually improving.

Awareness of conservation is increasing, and he hopes the book will help more people recognize that the pagodas and cultural heritage surrounding them are invaluable treasures that deserve protection.

The book is divided into five chapters: Origins and Inheritance, Of Monks and Kings, Buddhist Sanctuaries, Southern Vibrations, and Saffron Paradise.

“‘Chua’ are Buddhist temples, from which the name pagoda was translated and fashioned by the west. In addition to these well-known places I have also included other places of worship, cherished Vietnamese temples dedicated to goddesses, Khmer pagodas, temples built by the local Chinese community, and places of pilgrimage such as caves and sacred mountains,” Cornet wrote in his book.

The French photographer said it is not his place to tell others what they should do with their heritage.

Rather, he hopes his photographs and book will encourage greater public appreciation for the preservation of historic pagodas.

“I am starting a movement, but this is also the work of Vietnamese photographers, journalists, and people,” he said. “It's not because I'm a foreigner, I'm like everybody.”

The Vietnam Pagodas exhibition runs from May 29 to June 6. 

Cornet will be present daily from 11:40 am to 1:00 pm to sign copies of the book.