More than 1,000 school children from Ho Chi Minh City aged between four and 15 took part in the semifinal of the an annual painting contest at Ly Tu Trong Park in District 1 on April 5.

Pupils from Nguyen Van To Elementary School create their entry

They painted on canvas, pottery, and ao dai (the traditional Vietnamese tunic)

The finals of the computer and canvas categories will be held on April 12 and of the pottery and ao dai categories on April 19.

The organizers said that around 200,000 students of elementary and high schools, charity centers, and schools for children with disabilities took part in the qualifying round.

Out of them 18,000 were selected for the competition proper.

Prizes will be given to winners on May 31 at Phan Dinh Phung Indoor Stadium.

Organized by the HCMC General Science Library, Net Ve Xanh is meant for children under 16. They are divided into three groups: between four and seven, eight and 11, and 12 and 15.

Last year a 148 oil paintings created by more than 1,000 children has been acknowledged as being the longest in Vietnam.

VietNamNet/SGGP