HÀ NỘI – Two Hungarian students, Szabó Zétény and Sebok Lilla, have won the first prizes of the painting contest themed “Việt Nam in children’s eyes” held for students at more than 50 schools across Hungary.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Nguyễn Thị Bích Thảo (front, first, right) and President of the Vietnamese Women’s Union in Hungary Dr. Phan Bích Thiện (front, first, left) present certificates of merit to winners of the contest. — VNA/VNS Photo

The contest, running from March to the end of April, received 346 entries, while its Facebook fanpage saw 87,867 posts by contestants.

According to President of the Vietnamese Women’s Union in Hungary Dr. Phan Bích Thiện, the contest aims to promote the image of Việt Nam to Hungarian friends, especially youngsters. Particularly, along with Vietnamese and Hungarian students, those from many other countries such as China, Denmark, and Sweden also actively responded to the contest, for which the jury included representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy, the union, and professional Hungarian painters.

Addressing the awarding ceremony on May 25, Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Nguyễn Thị Bích Thảo hailed the Vietnamese Women’s Union in Hungary’s idea to organise the contest, which not only introduces Việt Nam to Hungarian friends but also inspires them to explore the land, people, tradition, landscapes, and the development of Việt Nam.

Graphic artist Molnár Péter said that entries in the contest highlight the image of Việt Nam with thousands of years of history vividly blended with a modern Việt Nam with international integration.

Along with famous landscapes of Việt Nam, the paintings also feature the costumes of ethnic minority groups of Việt Nam, natural masterpieces, and buildings of Việt Nam, providing an insight into a modern and bustling nation with peaceful spaces, he said.

The message that the paintings carry is Việt Nam is amazing and worth a visit, said Péter.

Szabó Zétény, 10, one of the winners of the contest, said that inspired with modern and traditional Việt Nam, he made his painting in eight days.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Thảopresented the certificate of merits to six winning students and the organising board. VNA/VNS