LookAtVietnam – A series of awards in the name of late Vietnamese painter Bui Xuan Phai will be granted to pay tribute to individuals and organisations

Another dimension: A scene from Ha Noi’s Old Quarter generated with 3D technology in a project by architect Dinh Viet Phuong and ashui.com. The project is a nominee for the Idea Prize in the ‘For the Love of Ha Noi’ contest.

Three prizes worth VND5 million ($280) each will also be granted. There is the Idea Prize for an author with projects and ideas expressing love and interest in the city; the Work Prize for works with a Ha Noi theme or carried out in Ha Noi praising the city’s beauty; and the Job Prize for activities, decisions and jobs, which protect and bring into full play the city’s beauty.

This is the second time such awards have been sponsored by The Thao&Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) daily and the Bui Xuan Phai Fund. This is not a competition but includes a nomination and selection process by a judging board of five members, who are specialists in various fields.

The Ha Noi People’s Committee will support this and next year’s awards as part of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Ha Noi celebrations.

This year, judges include poet Bang Viet, chairman of the Ha Noi Literature and Arts Association; journalist Ngo Ha Thai, deputy general director of Viet Nam News Agency; painter Tran Khanh Chuong, chairman of Viet Nam Fine Arts Association; architect Doan Duc Thanh and musician Phu Quang.

The prizes aim at praising the cause of painter Bui Xuan Phai (1920-1988), whose works have been considered the root of Viet Nam’s modern art.

Following is the nomination for this year’s awards system:

Nominations for the Grand Prize - For the Love of Ha Noi:

1. Scholar Nguyen Vinh Phuc, a researcher focusing on Ha Noi.

2. Writer Bang Son, who is famed for prose on Ha Noi lifestyle.

3. Researcher Ha Dinh Duc, who has conducted research on tortoise species living in Guom (Sword) Lake and has proposed valuable ideas on protecting the species and preserving them.

Nominations for Idea Prize - For the Love of Ha Noi:

1. Ideas on restoring Ha Noi Old Quarter, reflecting French style architecture and establishing an online museum on Ha Noi by 3D technology by architect Dinh Viet Phuong and Ashui.com website.

2. Project Long Bien Bridge - Day and Night by three students from Ha Noi Architecture College.

3. Culture and art festival titled Long Bien Memory planned to be organised this October.

Nominations for Work Prize - For the Love of Ha Noi:

1. Ngan Nam Van Hien (1,000 Year Culture Collection) colossal work published by the Ha Noi People’s Committee, the Viet Nam Economics Times newspaper and the Van Hoa Publishing House.

2. 5,678 Steps around Sword Lake by Nguyen Ngoc Tien.

3. Documentary Thang Long Nhan Kiet (Talented People in Thang Long) with 300 short episodes screened on VTV1 channel at 7.55pm every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

4. Thang Long Ky (Thang Long Chronicle) by Nguyen Khac Phuc.

5. Ten plays on Thang Long Ha Noi by Pham Van Quy.

Nominations for Job Prize - For the Love of Ha Noi:

1. Efforts to stop building SAS Royal Hotel in the area of Thong Nhat park. The hotel will be built in another location instead.

2. Moves to stop building a commercial centre at former 19/12 Market in Ly Thuong Kiet street.

3. Efforts to transform the Ha Noi Opera Plaza project into 19/8 Park at August Revolution Square near Ha Noi Opera House.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News