Journalist and Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Lê Quốc Minh (centre) is awarded a medal and King's Prize certificate in recognition for his contributions to the project Ngày Quốc Tổ Việt Nam Toàn Cầu (Global Việt Nam National Ancestor's Day). VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — A special online progamme took place on Tuesday night in Hà Nội and connected 10 other areas in Việt Nam and over the world to honour individuals and organisations known as "Hùng King's descendants" for their outstanding contribution to preserving national values.

The event was held following an international writing contest – part of a project titled Ngày Quốc Tổ Việt Nam Toàn Cầu (Global Việt Nam National Ancestor's Day) – with the aim to promote and universalise the value and dignity of the Vietnamese nation for all people in the country, overseas Vietnamese and foreign friends over the world.

It focused on three major themes of honouring and awarding the contest winners; the people and organisation named "Goodwill Ambassadors" and "Ambassadors" of Vietnam National Ancestor's Day and 18 media units and agencies, as well as 18 journalists who have actively supported the Global Việt Nam National Ancestor's Day Project.

Broadcasting on the fanpage of the project, the TV channels VTCNow, VOV, and Vietnam News Agency's VNews, and  Future Now, the event was connected to 10 locations in representing five continents including Hùng King Temple in northern province of Phú Thọ, Malaysia, Taiwan (China) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates - UAE) of Asia; Germany, and Slovakia in Europe; USA and Canada of Northern America; Australia; and Nigeria in Africa.

The programme organising committee awarded medals and King's Prize certificates to Professor Tạ Ngọc Tấn, deputy chairman of the Theoretical Council of the Communist Party of Việt Nam's Central Committee, chairman of the Ngày Quốc Tổ Việt Nam Toàn Cầu project's consulting board; and Lê Quốc Minh, journalist and Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency who have joined the project and worked as senior advisors for the online Global Việt Nam Ancestor's Day contest 2020.

Speaking at the awarding ceremony held on Tuesday in Hà Nội, Professor Tấn who is also a former member of the Party Central Committee and former director of Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, said that the Ngày Quốc Tổ Việt Nam Toàn Cầu project was established in 2015 with the support of a number of scientists, intellectuals and leaders of overseas national associations in seven countries.

"It is a civil non-governmental and non-profit project created with a mission to connect and strengthen the Vietnamese great national unity and positioning the values of Việt Nam in the global community, as well as joining with foreign friends to preserve the intangible cultural values of humanity," said Professor Tấn.

Also, at the ceremony, the organising committee of the international Ngày Quốc Tổ Việt Nam Toàn Cầu 2020 contest honoured and awarded a total of 35 prizes to winners selected from 300 final entries from all over the world.

Accordingly, the two first prizes were awarded to two authors from Việt Nam, Holi Thắng for his work Hào Khí Việt Nam (roughly translated as Việt Nam Power) and Nguyệt Vũ for the work Ra Hà Nội đi anh (Head to Hà Nội). The five second prizes, 10 third prizes and 18 encouragement prizes were also awarded to other authors with excellent writing and research about Việt Nam.

The Ngày Quốc Tổ Việt Nam Toàn Cầu 2020 contest was launched from March 18-May 31 consisting of two parts.

The first part focused on writing for the contest with themes featuring the Global Vietnam National Ancestor's Day for overseas Vietnamese people and foreigners.

Through their writing, included touching stories about their expatriate experiences, candidates expressed their feelings about the homeland, the country, ancestors and the people.

They showed their love and pride towards the Vietnamese nation, tradition and culture, their desire to connect with the homeland and friends over the world, particularly supporting each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic. — VNS

The programme is an online event connecting 10 places over the world. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn