The centre said the contest, which opened from May this year, is open for Vietnamese and foreign photographers till next March.
The organising committee said photos can feature landscapes, people, nature, relics, environmental protection, crafts, festivals and biodiversity in Cham Island, the biosphere reserve’s buffer zone and Hoi An city.
Contestants can send up to 15 photos each.

The best 50 photos will go on display in an exhibition next May, and the award ceremony will be held on May 25th.

A craft product made by Cham Islanders

The contest winner will get a cash prize of VND8 million (US$356), while the runner and third place will take VND5 million (US$222) and VND3 million (US$133), respectively.

Five encouragement prizes will also be awarded.

Competitors can send original photos to khusinhquyenculaocham@gmail.com.

The Cham Island-Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve, recognised by UNESCO in 2009, is home to 3,000 inhabitants living in eight islets with vast ecological diversity.

The island, 20km off the coast of Hoi An city, is a favourite eco-tour site for tourists, and was the first locality in Vietnam to ban plastic bags and promote the 3-R (reduce, reuse and recycle) programme in 2011.

It hosts about 100,000 tourists annually, of which 10% are foreigners.

The island is home to 1,500ha of tropical forests and 6,700ha of sea featuring a wide range of marine fauna and flora, including many endangered species such as salangane (swallows), the long-tailed monkey and the crab-eating macaque.