Fraternising: A photo of former President Bill Clinton shaking hands with Vietnamese people during his visit to Ha Noi in 2000 taken by Tran Viet Dung won first prize in a photo contest celebrating the relationship between Viet Nam and the US.

HA NOI (VNS) — A photo of former President Bill Clinton shaking hands with Vietnamese people taken by Tran Viet Dung has won the first prize at a contest.

An exhibition of all the excellent photos selected in the contest, entitled Viet Nam-US Relations and the US through the Lens of Vietnamese Photographers, was held in Ha Noi yesterday, drawing the participation of former President Clinton and the representatives of the Vietnamese and US governments.

The photo contest and exhibition have been part of activities held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Viet Nam-US Diplomatic Relations (July 12, 1995 to July 12, 2015).

Launched in October last year, the organising committee received more than 2,000 photos from 82 domestic and foreign photographers.

While Dung's photo won in the first category, Nguyen Vinh Hien and Nguyen Ngoc Bao emerged as winners in the second and third categories, respectively.

"The photos, especially those that have been awarded, are beautiful and typical pictures, both in terms of photography and in conveying the message of the peace and friendship between the two countries," said Huynh Vinh Ai, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The jury consisted of seven members who came from different walks of life such as experienced diplomats, historians, journalists, and photographers, including Nguyen Viet Thanh from Viet Nam News. They reviewed all the entries and awarded excellent works, in addition to selecting the best works for display at the exhibition that was inaugurated yesterday.

Meanwhile, more than 100 best works have been selected for a photo book entitled Viet Nam-US Relations: History-Present-Future, which will be of high artistic value and describe the development of the Viet Nam-US relationship. The exhibition will run until July 7 at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Ha Noi.

The US Consulate General in HCM City has also launched an essay writing contest in English for students aged 15-22 to celebrate this 20th anniversary. — VNS