Vietnamese teen wins Gold at international children's painting contest in Hong Kong

Her winning entry, titled "The Lac Bird of Homeland" (Chim Lac cua Quê huong), captured widespread attention from experts and visitors at the awards ceremony held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

The overall event, which took place from August 24 to 27 in the West Kowloon Cultural District, saw Vietnamese contestants secure a full sweep of Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards across both the Children and Youth categories.

Initiated and organized by the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation to encourage young generations to explore cultural diversity through visual arts, the inaugural contest attracted over 10,000 entries from 13 countries and territories, including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Iran, Guyana, and Senegal.

The organizing committee selected 80 outstanding artworks for display at the ceremony, showing rich cultural diversity and youth creativity.

Hoang Ngoc Han's Gold Award-winning piece in the Youth category depicted the Lac bird, a timeless symbol of freedom, independence, and vitality rooted in the Dong Son bronze drums. The composition harmoniously connects sky, earth, and sea, combining images of resilient rivers and mountains with a grand scene of nine carps gathering, symbolizing prosperity and cultural inheritance across generations.

Sharing her creative concept, Hoang Ngoc Han noted: "No matter how high the Lac bird flies, it always looks back to its roots. To me, it symbolizes connecting Vietnam's proud past with a bright future."

The ceremony was attended by over 40 senior officials from the Hong Kong administration alongside diplomatic representatives and Consuls General from various nations.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Shine Tak Foundation Lam Kwok Hing emphasized that art serves as a bridge connecting the world, helping young people transcend geographical boundaries to enhance mutual understanding.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman and Head of the Organizing Committee Chan Ling Fung applauded the diverse perspectives of the contestants and announced plans to adapt selected outstanding artworks into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and short animated films for online release.

"In addition to Hoang Ngoc Han's Gold Award in the Youth category, Vietnamese contestants captured top honors across both age divisions. In the Youth category, Hoang Ngoc Han (13) won Gold for "The Lac Bird of Homeland," Bui Thai Khanh (17) took Silver for "The Crane and Heritage Symbols in the Vietnamese Soul," and Nguyen Thi Hoai Chuyen (14) earned Bronze for "The Legend of the Dragon and Fairy Descendants."

In the Children category, Ngo Mai Linh (8) secured the Gold Award for "Journey of Three Turtles," Ngo Mai Vy (12) claimed Silver for "Galloping Horses to Success," and Le Kha Han (6) won Bronze for "Beautiful Natural Scenery."

According to the plan, the winning artworks will continue to be exhibited in Hong Kong and published in a commemorative album titled "World National Treasures Art Album" for distribution to government agencies, educational institutions, and libraries of participating nations. As part of the program, the winning contestants also participated in cultural tours, technology experiences, and community exchanges in Hong Kong.

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