APEC 2017 Photo Contest winners announced

11/9/2017 - 9:55:41 AM

The APEC Photo Contest 2017 winners were announced at the Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting by Dr. Alan Bollard, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat’s Executive Director, on November 7, in the central city of Da Nang.

First-prize winning photo 'Sunset Life' by Kieu Anh Dung from Vietnam

The first prize was awarded to the photo "Sunset Life” by Kieu Anh Dung from Vietnam, while "The Sea Flower” by Truong Vinh and "Building the Flower Industry” by Tran Dinh Thuong, both also from the host country, received second and third prizes, respectively.

The Popular Choice Award went to "Up and Forward” by Yu-Han Kung from the Republic of Korea and "Harvest Time” by Oki Arisandi from Indonesia received the Influencer Award.

The APEC Photo Contest is an annual initiative of the APEC Secretariat to collect stakeholders’ views on APEC’s messages and priorities. The contest seeks the public’s visual interpretation of APEC’s priorities for 2017, including promoting sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth, deepening regional economic integration, strengthening the competitiveness of small businesses and enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture.

The winners were evaluated by a judging panel consisting of world renowned photojournalists, industry experts and senior public officials, such as APEC Executive Director Alan Bollard, Agence France-Presse Photo Editor for North America Eric Baradat, award-winning photographer Palani Mohan, APEC Photo Contest multi-year winner and photographer Truong Huu Hung, and Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister and Chair of APEC 2017 Senior Officials Bui Thanh Son.

In its seventh year, the APEC Photo Contest 2017 received 2,126 entries from various APEC member economies including Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In order to reach a wider audience, this year, for the first time, the contest welcomed entries from Instagram through the APEC Secretariat’s official account.

To honour the Instagram entries, the special "Influencer Award” was introduced and the winner was selected by the number of likes the photo received on this channel. The first winner of the award this year is Oky Arisandi from Indonesia whose photo received nearly 3,000 likes.

Source: NDO

Hoa Binh - The land of epics and legends

As a land deeply intertwined with human history and Vietnam’s millennia-long journey of nation-building and defence, Hoa Binh is often revered for its epic tales and legends. Residents of Hoa Binh boast a rich cultural identity, reflected in their unique language, traditional attire, customs, and folk melodies – described as "sweet as honey, clear as a mountain stream.”

Truong Kha temple festival 2025

Lac Son district’s Vu ban town held the 2025 Truong Kha temple festival on April 12–13 (the 15th–16th days of the third lunar month). Since its revival in 2019, the festival has been organised every three years, preserving valuable intangible heritage while meeting the community’s cultural and spiritual needs.

Women's clothing of ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh

The clothing of women reflects the culture of the Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, and Mong ethnic groups in the northern province of Hoa Binh.

Hoa Binh’s cultural heritage: Muong Gongs, a timeless cultural treasure

Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.

Preserving, promoting Muong cultural heritage: Upholding Muong culture into contemporary life

Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.

Preserving essence of Muong culture: tradition meets modernity

The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.