Reflecting happiness in all its forms – beyond the framework of a competition

The contest honors people across the country, overseas Vietnamese and international friends who apply digital technology to create photos and videos about the country and people of Vietnam.

Delegates attending the ceremony. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh – VNA

On the evening of December 11, at the Hanoi Opera House, the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists held the opening ceremony of the exhibition and announced the awards for the "Happy Vietnam" Photo and Video Contest in 2024. The event is of great significance to honor people across the country, overseas Vietnamese and international friends who apply digital technology to create photos and videos about the country and people of Vietnam.

The Gold Medal in the video category was awarded to the work “Gia Lai epic” by author Nguyen Van Hoan. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh – VNA

The Organizing Committee awarded the Gold Medal in the video category to the work “Gia Lai, the Epic Land” by author Nguyen Van Hoan (work link: https://happy.vietnam.vn/contest/video-2024/submission/595200). The work takes viewers on a journey to discover Gia Lai - the place that preserves the soul of the Central Highlands, a majestic land with deep green mountains, vast primeval forests and rolling waterfalls. Every step on this land brings you closer to a rich epic culture, where the echoes of gong beats still reverberate in the air, reviving legendary stories and the pride of local ethnic groups.

The Gold Medal in the Photography category was awarded to the work “Sweet Happiness” by author Vu Dieu Hoa. Photo: Organizing Committee

The Gold Medal in the Photo category was awarded to the work “Sweet Happiness” by Vu Dieu Hoa (link to work: https://happy.vietnam.vn/contest/image-2024/submission/609534/). The photo shows the sweet happiness of a disabled family in the health run.

Reporter Tran Huy Hung - VNA was awarded the Silver Medal in the Photography category. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh

At this competition, two reporters from the Photo Editorial Board of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) won two second prizes in the photo category. That is the work "'Racing' on the construction site of the 500kV line circuit 3" by author Tran Huy Hung (link to work: https://happy.vietnam.vn/contest/image-2024/submission/589012). The series of photos was taken in June 2024, thousands of engineers, electricity workers and contractors were braving the sun and rain, racing against time on the construction site of the 500kV line circuit 3 from Quang Trach (Quang Binh) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen).

Photo series "'Racing' on the construction site of 500kV line circuit 3" by author Tran Huy Hung - VNA. Photo: Organizing Committee

The project has a total length of about 519km, passing through 211 communes and wards of 43 districts and towns in 9 provinces, including: Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Hai Duong and Hung Yen with a total of 1,177 column foundations, a total investment of about 22,300 billion VND. This is a national key project, of great significance in improving the North-South power transmission capacity, ensuring power supply for the North and releasing renewable energy sources, connecting the regional power grid and the national power grid at the 500kV voltage level.

The work “Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cycling around Hanoi” by author Duong Van Giang – VNA. Photo: Organizing Committee

The work "Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cycling around the streets of Hanoi" by author Duong Van Giang (link to work: https://happy.vietnam.vn/contest/image-2024/submission/593339). During the official visit to Vietnam, on the morning of November 2, 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cycled around the streets to feel the autumn in Hanoi. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh introduced to the Dutch Prime Minister the cultural and historical works in the area such as the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - a world heritage, the Hanoi Flag Tower, the Vietnam Military History Museum... The Dutch Prime Minister expressed his impression of the peaceful beauty and cultural and historical space in the Ba Dinh area.

Delegates visit the exhibition and admire the award-winning photos. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh – VNA

In addition, 6 Bronze Medals and 20 Encouragement Prizes were awarded to authors with outstanding photo and video works.

This is the second year the photo and video contest "Happy Vietnam - Happy Vietnam" has been held online on the Vietnam Image Promotion Platform at: https://vietnam.vn. Compared to 2023, the contest has had a strong spread when all 63 provinces and cities have authors participating. Hanoi is leading in the number of entries, followed by Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, after 7 months of launching (from March 20 to October 15, 2024), the Organizing Committee received more than 10,300 photo and video entries.

According to the Organizing Committee's assessment, the contest is a testament to the patriotism and enthusiasm of people across the country in promoting the image of the country, its people, and the beautiful cultural traditions of our nation to the international community. At the same time, the contest also shows a new trend in social media work, based on the application of digital technology, digital platforms, and mobilizing the strength of the entire population to develop digital data to effectively serve information and propaganda work.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung speaks. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh – VNA

At the award ceremony, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung stated: More than 10,000 stories about the peaceful, beautiful, and happy Vietnam have been recorded by the authors in pictures and videos. From the mountains to the cities, from the mainland to the islands, from familiar things to heroic moments of the nation. For the Border Guard, happiness is to build, build, and watch a rich, beautiful, and developed Vietnam border. Athletes are happy when the national flag appears on the international arena; the happiness of doctors is to be able to cure many patients. The happiness of ethnic minorities is to preserve traditional culture and promote it to everyone in the country and internationally, to study well to return to serve their homeland, and to see their homeland develop day by day... Happiness is sometimes simply being yourself and happiness often comes from the simplest things around us. Many authors have perspectives, although not professional, but vivid, very close to real life, reflecting the many aspects of the concept of happiness. Although the film is very short, the photos are taken by phone, but the author still tells a vivid story about the life around him.

Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the exhibition. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh – VNA

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed: Digital technology helps people record, preserve, and share the happy moments they perceive. Happiness is a great thing but it is within us. Happiness is familiar and simple. But many times we have happiness but pass by it, forget it, or we pass by without knowing it. The Happy Vietnam photo and video contest also conveys the message to save moments of joy and sadness, but all towards a better life. According to the World Happiness Report 2024 published on March 20, 2024, Vietnam is in the top 10 happiest countries or territories in Asia. Vietnam holds the 54th position globally, up 11 places compared to 2023. In that journey of happiness, the people's contributions and the Happy Vietnam Awards Ceremony 2024 represent part of those contributions. This is proof of the spreading power of the Happy Vietnam spirit, which has gone beyond the framework of a competition, a country, a region./.

Source: https://chinhsachcuocsong.vnanet.vn/phan-anh-hanh-phuc-muon-ve-vuot-qua-khuon-kho-mot-cuoc-thi/52536.html