A collection of photographs featuring Vietnam and its people, selected from over 12,300 entries, was awarded at a ceremony in Hanoi on October 14. 

The sixth photography contest was organised by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s Vietnam Pictorial and the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) to mark the 60 th anniversary of the Vietnam Pictorial’s first issue. 

A set of photographs of the Cap Sac ritual of the Dao Tien ethnic group by Hanoian photographer Trinh Thong Thien won first prize, while the photograph series “equal in talent” by Doan Van Hong from the southern province of Dong Thap and “Proud of being Vietnamese commandos” shared the second prize. 

The third prize was shared by photographs of a photographer’s journey, a high-tech oil platform on the Bach Ho oil field and Vietnamese coast guards safeguarding maritime sovereignty on Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. 

Seven other photographers were honoured with consolation prizes. 

The winning entries will appear in print in English, Chinese, Spanish and Laotian as well as in a nine-language newswire run by Vietnam Pictorial. 

Following the awards ceremony, VNA Director General Nguyen Duc Loi, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien, VAPA Chairman Vu Khanh and Vietnam Pictorial Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Thang officially launched the exhibition of the selected photographs at the VNA headquarters.-VNA