Vietnamese Heritage Through the Eyes of Gen Z

The awards ceremony for the Vietnam Heritage Photo Contest 2025 recently took place at the Ton Duc Thang Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. This is considered a meeting point for the photography and culture community, especially young people.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Vietnam's Cultural Heritage Day, Vietnam Heritage magazine, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Heritage Association and the Gen Zi Sản media group (FPT University), organized the Vietnam Heritage Photo Contest 2025. The awards ceremony took place at the Ton Duc Thang Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on November 23rd, attracting a large number of photographers and young people interested in culture and heritage.

With the message "Touch the heritage - feel the unique essence," this year's season made a strong impression thanks to the creative participation of the Gen Zi Sản media team - a factor that helped bring heritage closer to the younger generation.

Vietnam's rich heritage seen through multiple perspectives.

The gold medal in category A (for all ages) went to photographer Phan Huy Thiep for his work "The Then Initiation Ceremony of the Nung Phan Slinh people in Lang Son ".

PHOTO: BTC

The gold medal in category B for Gen Z was awarded to Nguyen Quoc An for his work "Continuing the Legacy".

PHOTO: BTC

The competition received 1,034 entries from 203 authors nationwide. The works reflect the richness of Vietnam's heritage through various perspectives: from tangible and intangible cultural heritage, customs, traditions, and festivals to natural landscapes and community life. This year's competition saw the widest participation in recent years.

The participation of professional and amateur photographers from across the country creates a vibrant panorama of Vietnam's nature and culture.

PHOTO: LE THUY

A fascinating aspect of this year's competition lies in the diversity of ages among the participants: the oldest was born in 1952, and the youngest in 2009. This demonstrates the enduring appeal of photography and its ability to connect generations through heritage stories.

PHOTO: LE THUY

From over a thousand entries, the jury selected 81 outstanding works for display and over 30 works for awards in two categories: an award for Gen Z and an award for photographers of all ages. Each category includes 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, 3 bronze medals, and 10 honorable mentions.

Ms. Le Tu Cam, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Heritage Association (far left), presents flowers and commemorative gifts to the sponsors.

PHOTO: LE THUY

One of the distinctive features of the 2025 season is the participation of Gen Zi Sản, a group of FPT University media students. With their youthful and creative approach, Gen Zi Sản contributes to a new look for media work, bringing the message "Touch the heritage - feel the unique essence" closer to young people through digital platforms. Their presence not only inspires but also opens up a new approach in connecting heritage with the younger generation - those who will continue the journey of preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture in the future.

Currently, 81 selected works are on display at the Ton Duc Thang Museum in Ho Chi Minh City from November 22 to 30, 2025, as part of the activities commemorating Vietnam's Cultural Heritage Day. This is an opportunity for the public, especially young people, to "touch" cultural values ​​in the most accessible way.

The Vietnam Heritage Photo Contest was held annually from 2012 until 2019, then temporarily suspended. Since 2020, the contest has returned annually, along with the Vietnam Heritage Photo Exhibition, showcasing selected photo collections.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/di-san-viet-nam-qua-goc-nhin-gen-z-185251124160944603.htm