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Prizeworthy: Award-winning photos (above) Traditional Mud Ball Game by Pham Van Lu and (below) Rescuing People During a Typhoon by Duong Thanh Xuan.
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HA NOI — A set of five photographs captured by photo journalist Duong Thanh Xuan won first prize in the Vietnam News Agency's annual Golden Moment press photography contest.
Entitled Cuu Dan Trong Bao Lu (Rescuing People during a Typhoon), the photos depict Vietnamese soldiers rescuing stranded locals from rooftops following the impact of Typhoon Mirinae in the central province of Phu Yen last year.
The set won critical acclaim from the judges due to its vivid portrayal of the Vietnamese army undertaking humanitarian rescue operations.
"The photos also express the risks that the journalists faced when working. They deserved to be honoured," said VNA general director Tran Mai Huong.
Xuan said he understood the importance and necessity of honestly conveying the harsh conditions, faced by locals and soldiers alike.
To capture the moment, the 51-year-old photographer ignored the inherent danger of the situation and volunteered to join a group of soldiers deep in the eye of the storm, where local people had become stranded on their house rooftops.
Another first prize was given to the six-photo set about an Agent Orange (AO) victim taken by Vu Dung. The photos feature Pham The Minh, who overcame his disabilities to study at Ha Noi National University. Following his graduation in 1994, he established the Huong Duong Information Technology and Foreign Language Centre in his house, offering courses for nearly 2,000 children, including disadvantaged young people and AO victims.
In May 2009, Minh travelled to Paris where he testified at the International Tribunal in Support of Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange. He also travelled throughout the US in the same year to raise public awareness of the enduring legacy of AO.
Two other photo essays, Le Hoi Danh Cau Bun (Traditional Mud Ball Game) by Pham Van Lu, and Suy Thoai Moi Truong O Ca Mau (Environmental Degradation in Ca Mau) by photographers Huu Thanh, Kim Son, and Minh Quoc, took second prize.
Three third prizes were awarded to three other photo collections.
In the single photo category, first prize was given for Tu Hao Viet Nam (Pride of Viet Nam) by photographer Duc Tam. The photograph portrays Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung congratulating mathematician Ngo Bao Chau on his prestigious Fields Medal prize at a State welcoming ceremony in Ha Noi.
Second prize was given to Vuot Bao (Overcoming the Typhoon) by Hoang Anh Tuan from the northern coastal city of Quang Ninh.
In addition, Vinaphone, the contest's sponsor, and one of two biggest mobile phone service providers in Viet Nam, offered four prizes for the best photos taken by a 3G mobile phone.
Launched last September, the contest received more than 8,300 photos by 1,172 photographers nationwide, capturing vivid moments and a range of events across the country.
Unlike the two previous competitions, this year's contest also welcomed foreign competitors.
"A minimal number of overseas Vietnamese and foreigners living in Viet Nam submitted their photos. However the entries did not meet the contest's requirements as they are not newsworthy enough," said Nguyen Quang Thang, a member of the contest's organising board.
Ninety-two excellent photographs, including 17 award-winners, are on display at the Exhibition House, 29 Hang Bai Street, Ha Noi until next Monday. — VNS