A photograph on Cap sac (coming-of-age) ritual - the first prize of the contest

The contest was co-organised by the Viet Nam News Agency (VNA)’s Viet Nam Pictorial and the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) to mark the 60th anniversary of the Viet Nam Pictorial’s first issue. 

A collection of photos by Ha Noi photojournalist Trinh Thong Thien won the first prize. The images depict a Dao ethnic minority "maturity ceremony" in the northern province of Lai Chau. This nine-day ritual marks the moment when a teenaged boy becomes a man.

The photograph series “equal in talent” by Doan Van Hong from the southern province of Dong Thap and “Proud of being Vietnamese commandos” shared the second prize. 

The third prize was shared by photographs of a photographer’s journey, a high-tech oil platform on the Bach Ho oil field and Vietnamese coast guards safeguarding maritime sovereignty on Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. 

Seven other photographers were honoured with encouragement prizes. 

The winning entries will appear in print in English, Chinese, Spanish and Laotian as well as in a nine-language newswire run by Viet Nam Pictorial. 

Following the awards ceremony, VNA Director General Nguyen Duc Loi, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien, VAPA Chairman Vu Khanh and Viet Nam Pictorial Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Thang officially launched the exhibition of the selected photographs at the VNA headquarters.