After more than six months, the contest has concluded with numerous outstanding works capturing the country’s remarkable transformation during its period of development and international integration.
The theme’s strong appeal
According to the organisers, the contest received nearly 4,000 entries from more than 400 photographers across the country.
Together, the entries painted a vivid picture of a rapidly transforming Viet Nam — from modern cities and green transport corridors to key infrastructure projects and high-tech agricultural fields.
This demonstrates the strong resonance of the contest, reflecting the confidence and sense of responsibility of photographers in portraying truthfully the country’s landscape in the new era. A total of 22 outstanding works were selected for awards, including two A prizes, three B prizes, five C prizes, and 12 Consolation prizes.
Each honoured work represents a unique perspective and an emotionally rich discovery, while meeting the rigorous requirements of authenticity, content value, and artistic quality in press photography.
Journalist and photographer Le Nguyen, Vice President of the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists and Chairman of the Art Council, said the works entering the final round were diverse in theme and rich in expression, portraying development achievements across all regions of the country while closely following the contest theme.
As a member of the final jury, he praised the artistic quality of the selected works. To capture these precious moments, thousands of journalists and photographers did not shy away from hardship, venturing into dangerous places and travelling to the most remote border areas of the country to share the pulse of life with the people.
Through the work “Harvest on High-Quality Rice Fields” (C Prize), photographer Nguyen Thanh Hung (An Giang) sought to capture images of farmers mastering high technology and applying modern advances to their fields. Photographer Vu Van Lam, a member of the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists, whose work “Hai Phong’s Sleepless Nights” received a Consolation Prize, shared that participating in the contest was a great honour. He wished to record beautiful moments and tell a story about the transformation of his homeland, about ordinary people working tirelessly day and night to contribute to the country’s overall development.
The work “The Fatherland in the Heart: An Epic of 80 Years of Vietnamese History” by photographer Tran Thanh Giang of Viet Nam Pictorial, Viet Nam News Agency, won a B Prize. He said he had devoted great effort to his entry and felt proud to “touch the pulse of the nation”, standing before magnificent works or witnessing the smile of a female officer from Viet Nam’s No. 1 Peacekeeping Police Unit holding in her arms a future citizen of the capital Ha Noi. Each work is an expression of gratitude to the homeland. “The contest is not merely a competition but also a place where we share proud stories about Viet Nam,” Giang affirmed.
Author Nguyen Van Trung from Ho Chi Minh City, whose work “The Era of Rising” won a First Prize, shared the reason for the title: “At that very moment, I felt clearly that Viet Nam was entering a new phase: confident, proactive, and full of aspiration.” He hopes the work does not merely record an event or a structure but also captures the spirit of the era — that of a Viet Nam rising powerfully.
From the pulse of renewal on each field in the countryside, that inspiration continues to be captured through photographs, portraying the depth of history, national pride, and the sacred responsibility toward the Fatherland. From the Mekong Delta to major cities, from remote seas and islands to mountainous and border areas, the journey of renewal is told through authentic, vivid, and humane moments through the creative lenses of thousands of authors.
Nhan Dan Newspaper — fostering creativity
Tran Thi Thu Dong, President of the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists, shared that as a member of the contest’s final jury she was deeply moved by the enthusiastic response from authors across the country. The quality of the works was relatively consistent, and most encouragingly many authors had moved beyond old perspectives to seek moments imbued with a modern spirit. Many photo series were carefully produced with depth, journalistic thinking, and lively reflections of a Viet Nam rising strongly — in line with the spirit of renewal that Nhan Dan Newspaper has persistently pursued over the years.
According to Phan Huy Thang, Member of the Editorial Board and Head of the Secretariat–Editorial Department of Nhan Dan Newspaper, as well as Deputy Head of the contest’s Organising Committee, the organisers hoped the contest would provide a platform for artists, reporters, and photography enthusiasts to demonstrate their abilities. Nhan Dan Newspaper will serve as a bridge to bring outstanding works to readers. Through the lenses of the authors, images of the country and the Vietnamese people appear authentic and vivid. What deserves recognition is not only the technical skill but also the spirit of dedication, action, and the aspiration for national development expressed in each work.
Accompanying the nation and the people for 75 years, Nhan Dan Newspaper has not only recorded history through words but also preserved it through images. The contest has opened up a journey rich in creativity, and the participating authors themselves contribute to portraying a Viet Nam that is resilient, full of potential, and promising. Each photograph captured today will become a valuable historical record for the future, bearing witness to a Viet Nam that has never before possessed such fortune, strength, stature, and prestige as it does today.
