A sketch of Hà Nội's Old Living Quater by artist Phạm Thanh Sơn.

HÀ NỘI — Historian and teacher Nguyễn Thừa Hỷ won the 'Bùi Xuân Phái – For The Love of Hà Nội' prize on Tuesday at Vietnam News Agency’s headquarters.

The awards are named after renowned painter Bùi Xuân Phái (1920-88) in honour of his career and aim to spread his love for Hà Nội. 

The award’s grand prize was given to Hỷ for his research about Hà Nội. Across 40 years, he has written many books including Thăng Long – Hà Nội Thế Kỷ 17, 18, 19 (Economic History of Hà Nội in the 17th, 18th, 19th Centuries).

The book was translated into English in 2002 and is a key document for Vietnamese and international researchers.

“Through his paintings, artist Phái conveyed his love of Hà Nội to people,” said teacher Hỷ at the awards ceremony.

“The love of Hà Nội has a wider meaning that includes the love for the country and the love for the people.

"I hope that the love of Hà Nội will be embedded in Hà Nội residents to have better behaviour and reduce cases of violence."

The grand prize winner also said it is important to honour morality to help Hà Nội develop. 

On behalf of Hà Nội authorities, chairman of the People's Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung received the 'Idea Prize' for the Formula One Race complex and F1 organisation in 2020. 

"The Bùi Xuân Phái Awards are meaningful and always inspire individuals and collectives to contribute to making Hà Nội much better," Chung said. 

Bringing the F1 race to Việt Nam was the idea of late Prime Minister Võ Văn Kiệt in 1994, according to Chung.

The Tô Lịch Refreshment Project also won an 'Idea Prize'. The project is to make the eponymous river's water clean by Japanese experts and Nhật Việt Environment Company using nano-bioreactor technology. 

"It is very difficult to refresh the river because it is quite different from preserving a relic or an old architect," said architect Hoàng Đạo Kính, a jury member. "But it is necessary to make for Hà Nội which is seen as a city of rivers and lakes."

The 'Job Prize' went to the Hà Nội Urban Sketchers group for its book Tập Thể Cũ Hà Nội - Ký Họa và Hồi Ức (Hà Nội's Old Living Quarter - Sketches and Memory).

Established in 2016 by four architects, the group has nearly 4,000 members. 

"In the Industry 4.0 era, it is easy to take a beautiful pictures about Hà Nội. But Hà Nội Urban Sketchers don't do this," said poet Bằng Việt, the jury chairman. "The book features sketches by the professionals and amateurs to discover small and unique architecture in Hà Nội."

Writer Nguyễn Trương Quý grabbed a 'Work Prize' for his book entitled Một Thời Hà Nội Hát (Hà Nội Sings In Time). 

The book features research about Hà Nội culture and musician Đoàn Chuẩn in particular. Through the songs by late musician, Quý tells the story of the music scene in Hà Nội before and after 1954. 

The annual Bùi Xuân Phái Awards - For The Love of Hà Nội were launched by Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Sport and Culture) newspaper and late artist Bùi Xuân Phái’s family to honour the contributions of individuals and organisations to society, culture and the arts in Hà Nội in 2008. — VNS