Hanoi (VNA)ꦐ – A reporter at the Vietnam News Agency’s Vietnam News newspaper, Vuong Bach Lien , won the first prize in the journalism writing contest Young Francophones Reporters –Vietnam 2016.

The contest was organised for the first time by Le Courrier du Vietnam , a weekly French language newspaper also under the Vietnam News Agency. Lien won the prize with two French language reportages. The first features the daily life of Mong ethnic group in Meo Vac District in northern mountainous Ha Giang province; and the second portrays her meetings with members of different ethnic groups in Tram Tau District of Yen Bai Province whose generosity highly impressed her. Her two reportages were highly appreciated by the jury for the originality of the subjects, beautiful writing style in fluent French, and illustrative photos. Lien started learning French at the age of 12 and has fallen in love with the language that she finds "very beautiful". "This contest has an important significance because it allows young Francophone people like me to show our love of the French language and of our country Vietnam," she said. The second prize of the contest went to Nguyen Thuy Tien from Hanoi, with the entry entitled Vendeur De Rue ( Street Vendor), and the third prize was presented to Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh from the northern province of Quang Ninh with the story Le Sourire de L’ancinne Maison (The Smile of the Ancient House). This competition, with the theme "The power of words" aims to encourage young Francophone living in Vietnam aged from 18 to 35 years old to write articles about Vietnam in French language, while showing the vitality of the French language, through their talents of writing and illustration. It provides an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign participants to express their feelings, emotions and points of view about the country, while highlighting the richness and diversity of the French language. Launched from May 10 to August 31, the organisation board received 57 entries across the country, including one by a border guard from the central province of Nghe An, who won the prize of impression. The competition is supported by the Asia Pacific Regional Office (BRAP) of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), the Group of Francophone embassies and international delegations to Vietnam (GADIF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), among others. The jury of the contest was composed of journalists, French language teachers, writers, representatives of OIF and of different Francophone embassies.-VNA