The awards were initiated in 2008 by theVietnam News Agency (VNA)’s Sports & Culture newspaper and the family ofthe late famous painter Bui Xuan Phai (1920-1988) to honour those whocontribute to spreading the love for the capital city.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of themunicipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung thanked the VNA and Bui XuanPhai’s family for organising the awards which, he said, have made an imprint inthe heart of many Hanoians.
VNA Director General Nguyen Duc Loi statedthat after 10 years of organisation, the Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Hanoiawards have affirmed its role and position in the country’s socio-political andcultural development.
The awards were classified into the fourcategories: Grand Prize, Idea Prize, Job Prize and Work Prize.
This year, the Grand Prize was granted tocultural researcher Huu Ngoc, who has contributed to connecting the Vietnameseculture with the world.
Born in 1918, Ngoc has a profound knowledgeof French, English, German, and ancient Chinese. He has written 34 books,including a prized book entitled “A Sketch of Hanoi Culture” in French andEnglish, which then was given by the Vietnamese Government as a special presentto the heads of state at the 7th Francophone Meeting in the capital city in1997.
The researcher also wrote regularly formore than a decade for the two foreign language newspapers published by the VNA:Le Courier du Vietnam in French and Vietnam News in English.
Previous winners of the Grand Prize werepresented to Nguyen Vinh Phuc, a scholar specializing in Hanoi research (in2009), writer To Hoai (in 2010), Prof. Phan Huy Le (2011), guitarist Van Vuong(2012), photographer Quang Phung (2013), researcher Vu Tuan San (2014), researcher Giang Quan (2015), andphotographer Le Vuong (2016).
The Idea Prize went to Hanoi’s Departmentof Transport for its project on reducing traffic jams and environmentalpollution for 2017-2020 with a vision to 2030.
This year two Job Prizes were awarded, one tothe Hanoi administration for the establishment of the Hoan Kiem Lake walkingstreet, which is closed to traffic on weekend nights, and another to PaulGeorge Harding, a US war veteran, who has helped clean the capital’s lanes by removingposters from walls.
Late writer Bang Son, with his two books“Thu lang thang nguoi Ha Noi” (Hanoians’ wandering pleasure) and “Thu an choinguoi Ha Noi” (Hanoians’ cuisine pleasure), and photographer Nguyen Huu Bao,with his photo book “Ha Noi dau yeu” (Beloved Hanoi), received the WorkPrize.-VNA