HCM CITY (VNS) — Some 500 children from six schools in HCM City took part in a photography contest called Photo Marathon Junior held last weekend as part of Canon's International Friendship Day.

Kids aged eight to 15 part took their best photos based on the theme of "friendship, the people you like, and your favorite job."

The event was aimed at encouraging children's love of photography and promoting cultural understanding between students in Viet Nam and other Asian countries.

The winner was Pham Nhat Nam, a ninth grader at Minh Duc Secondary School, whose photo shows children practising work as technicians at a mock facility.

Two pictures winning highest prize at the contest. — VNS Photos

He received a Canon camera, a photo printer, an English scholarship worth VND20 million sponsored by Apollo English Centre, a VIP pass to Vietopia, the mock facility where children can simulate many jobs and two round tickets to Bangkok worth VND15 million sponsored by Turkish Airlines. They were totally worth more than VND50 million.

The contest offered prizes worth a total of VND200 million.

An exhibition was held alongside, showcasing photos from the Canon Image Bridge programme in which students across Viet Nam were encouraged to shoot their own photos and exchange them with their counterparts in Japan and Malaysia.

It gave children a chance to try out their photography skills, nurture their love for the art and create a bridge to connect with children in other countries.

International Friendship Day is part of Canon's philosophy of "Kyosei," which means living and working for the common good. — VNS