(VOVWORLD) - 128 authors and co-authors of outstanding literary and art works were honored at a ceremony held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Hanoi last month.
 Authors of outstanding works receive 2022 Ho Chi Minh and State prizes. (Photo: VOV) |
Chu Chi Thanh was given the Ho Chi Minh Prize for his photo collection “Two soldiers” taken in 1973. As a veteran photographer of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Thanh had taken many photos of war time and the revolution.
“When the Paris Agreement was about to be signed, I was sent to the battlefield. I was amazed to see the Sai Gon soldiers crossing the border to joyfully meet liberated soldiers. They talked openly and patted each other’s shoulders. It was a very surprising moment because I used to think that they were on two different sides of the battlefield. I saw that they both desired peace. So, I captured that moment,” he recalled.
People’s Artist Ung Duy Thinh won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for a series of works, including dances “The country” and “Fire”, and his research on folk dance and professional dance.
“The dance ‘The country’ is a drama series about the journey to national liberation during which we highlighted soldiers in the battlefields. They were strongly supported by their loved ones, especially their wives. The dance also conveys a message of keeping the revolutionary tradition by many generations,” said Thinh.
 Musician Dinh Trung Can. (Photo: toquoc.vn) |
The song “The country calls my name” with music set by Dinh Trung Can based on a poem by Nguyen Phan Que Mai was honored with the State Award.
“The musical work was created as the East Sea situation became more complicated. The song was performed by many professional and amateur singers from inside and outside Vietnam to fuel Vietnamese people’s national pride. This award is a great honor for me and encourages me to write more songs about the homeland,” Can said.
The State awards also went to 9 other writers and poets. Writer Nguyen Van Tho won an award for his novel “Quyen” featuring emigration.
“The novel depicts the lives of Vietnamese people living and working in a more modern country. Many are trying to contribute to their homeland where their real life values lie,” said Tho.
The Ho Chi Minh Prize and State Award for Literature and Arts have helped promote national pride, and Vietnamese culture and people to the world.