(VOVworld) – A photo exhibit titled “Vietnam – the real war” featuring images taken by Associated Press (AP) photojournalists during the Vietnam war opened Friday at the Exhibition Hall, 45 Trang Tien, Hanoi.

"Napalm girl" - A famous photo by photojournalist Nick Ut (photo:VOV)

To cover the war in Vietnam, the AP gathered a group of extraordinary photojournalists in its Sai Gon bureau, who then created one of the greatest photographic legacies of the 20^th century. Forty years later, a collection of 50 gripping AP images are on display in Vietnam to tell the human story behind the conflict.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said: "AP images reflect the Vietnam war very clearly and accurately, helping peoples around the world understand more about the fierce war in Vietnam. The exhibit helps promote the significance of Vietnam’s celebrating the 40th anniversary of South Liberation and National Reunification as well as the process of normalizing relations between Vietnam and the US."

The event was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and AP President and CEO Garry Pruitt (Photo:dantri)

All the photos will be donated to the Military History Museum of Vietnam. AP President and CEO Garry Pruitt said: "AP donated photos to the Military History Museum of Vietnam because we felt these photos should stay in Vietnam for the Vietnamese people. And we know that not everyone can get to this exhibit, only in Hanoi and only for 2 weeks. And we think that we can donate them and they will live forever here in Vietnam and that felt like the most appropriate place of these photos to be."

The exhibit will continue till June 26.