Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong beat the drum to open the quinquennial Spring Press Festival in Hanoi on February 7, the largest of its kind so far with the participation of 65 media agencies.

Publications, including Spring and Lunar New Year editions, on display in 120 booths provide visitors with an overall view on the history of Vietnam’s revolutionary press, the country’s socio-economic achievements, and the State laws and Party’s policies and guidelines.

The festival is timed to coincide with the 85th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3), the 125th birthday anniversary of the late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19), the 70th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2), and the 40th anniversary of southern liberation and national unification.

During this year, the media sector is to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) and the 90th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day, towards the 10th Congress of the association.

Following the opening ceremony, the Party chief visited display booths, including the one of Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the government’s official mouthpiece about domestic and international issues.

The VNA booth exhibits all kinds of materials in print, electronic and television forms that partly reflect VNA’s contributions to the country since its establishment 70 years ago.

It also showcases photos that won multiple prizes at home and abroad, including the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Award for Literature and the Arts.

The VNA is currently the media office having the largest number of products and forms in the country, including bulletins, photos, dailies, weeklies, monthlies, magazines, pictorials, books, a TV channel, e-newspapers and information programmes on mobile platforms.

It retains its position as the mainstream information source which guides public opinion, and the strategic and trustworthy information centre of the Party and State, contributing to national construction and defence.

Talking to participating pressmen, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said he is happy to see many insightful articles that offer a panorama of the country’s path to prosperity during 2014.

He confidently stated that the festival will enable journalists nationwide to share professional skills and continue to sharpen their pens.

This year’s four-day event is co-hosted by the VJA, which initiated the festival in 1991, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the municipal People’s Committee.

It also features workshops, exchanges with the public, and cultural and art performances.-VNA