"Sweet Happiness", the photo that won the Gold Medal in Happy Vietnam 2024. — Photo courtesy of Happy Vietnam organisers

HÀ NỘI — The competition to portray the joy across the nation, Happy Vietnam, had over 10,300 entries this year, a significant increase from last year's 7,000, according to Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng.

The Minister was speaking at Wednesday's award ceremony for the annual contest.

Happy Vietnam is an annual national contest organised by the Ministry on the online platform https://vietnam.vn. Its goal is to encourage Vietnamese citizens and visitors to capture photos and videos that showcase the country's image.

Now in its second year, the contest has expanded its reach, with all of Việt Nam's 63 provinces and cities represented, along with about 600 foreign participants and 270 from overseas Vietnamese.

One hundred fifty photos and 60 videos were chosen from a pool of exceptional entries for the exhibition, and 34 were awarded medals.

'Fellowship of Young H'mong Men', the photo that won the People's Choice Award in Happy Vietnam 2024. — Photo courtesy of Happy Vietnam orgnisers

The Gold Medal for Photography went to Vũ Diệu Hoa for her work 'Sweet Happiness' while Meynardo LB. Montealegre, Philippine Ambassador to Việt Nam, won the People's Choice Award for his photo 'Fellowship of Young H'mong Men'.

The judges awarded the Gold Medal for Video to Nguyễn Văn Hoan for his work 'Gia Lai - Land of Myths and Legends', but it was Check-in Vietnam's promotional video that captured the hearts of the public, winning the other People's Choice Award.

"The vietnam.vn platform has been a huge hit, drawing over 90 million visits, including a significant number from overseas," said the Minister.

After the ceremony, the award-winning works will be exhibited in Việt Nam and abroad to promote the country’s rich culture, vibrant people and the collective aspiration for a thriving, happy future.

According to the World Happiness Report 2024, released in March, Việt Nam ranked among Asia's top ten happiest countries or territories. Globally, Việt Nam secured the 54th position, climbing 11 places compared to 2023. — VNS