Attending the program were comrades: Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense ; Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, Secretary of the Party Committee of the General Department of Politics; Major General Doan Xuan Bo, Secretary of the Party Committee, Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Newspaper, Head of the contest's organizing committee. Also attending were representatives of central departments, ministries and branches; representatives of functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defense, the General Department of Politics, the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army; leaders and commanders of agencies and units inside and outside the Army; representatives of accompanying units and sponsors of the contest. Especially the presence of the authors and characters in the winning works of this year's writing contest.

Meet the beautiful lives

Writer Chau La Viet from Ho Chi Minh City was present at the closing ceremony and awarding of the contest very early. For more than half a century, he has been tirelessly and passionately writing about soldiers with many highly appreciated literary and journalistic works. In this writing contest, he was honored in the work "Chau La Viet: Literature and life, always a soldier" by Colonel, Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Tu. Moved by the news that he was honored, he decided to give the 10 million VND prize that the Organizing Committee of the contest gave to his comrades as a way of expressing gratitude and sharing.

Scene of the closing ceremony and awarding ceremony of the 16th "Simple but Noble Examples" Writing Contest (2024-2025) and launching the 17th Writing Contest (2025-2026). Photo: VIET TRUNG

Before the closing ceremony and award ceremony, the area displaying the book series "Simple but noble examples" attracted many delegates to visit. Here, author Dang Hoang An, who won the B prize with the series of 2 articles "Lieutenant Le Tuan Thanh and the spirit of action for the community" shared with us his joy and emotion.

The Tay Ninh man sat in a wheelchair due to paralysis of both legs to attend the program. Although he was somewhat afraid of the long distance and difficulty in traveling, with the encouragement and support of the Organizing Committee of the contest, he decided to go to Hanoi to be present at the closing ceremony and award ceremony. The appearance of Hoang An in a wheelchair at the closing ceremony and award ceremony of the 16th Writing Contest moved many delegates who came to talk and share.

Scene of the closing ceremony and awarding ceremony of the 16th "Simple but Noble Examples" Writing Contest (2024-2025) and launching the 17th Writing Contest (2025-2026). Photo: VIET TRUNG

Choosing the most beautiful pink ao dai to attend the program, Ms. Le Huong Giang and her mother radiantly entered the hall. While walking beside her daughter, holding her hand, her mother described in detail the surrounding scenery. Le Huong Giang is an MC of Vietnam Television, a psychologist and a blind person - a character in the work "Le Huong Giang: From a blind girl to a sower of happiness" which won the C prize this year. The greetings, encouragement, introductions, and warm handshakes from people who met for the first time but felt like they had known each other for a long time made the atmosphere of the program even more meaningful.

Immersed in the warm and meaningful atmosphere of the Closing and Awarding Ceremony of the 16th Writing Competition, Colonel, Associate Professor, Dr. Do Ngoc Thu (the author who won the encouragement prize) suggested to us: "I have a lot of emotions, when I return I will immediately write an article about the meaning of the competition and the Closing and Awarding Ceremony today!".

The 22 typical characters and dozens of honored authors represent the "beautiful flower forest" - flowers that grow from everyday life, spread fragrance through actions, inspire through work, and spread kindness and intelligence.

The writing contest “Simple but noble examples” over the past 16 years has not only been an annual journalism activity. It is a journey to crystallize good living values; a channel to vividly convey the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and style; a place to listen to the quiet but persistent beats of millions of hearts for the country and the people.

Each work, each story is a ray of light. And when resonated and spread, those rays of light will flare up into a great fire, lighting up the desire to contribute, spreading positive energy, and fostering social trust.

The contest not only discovers beautiful seeds in everyday life but also nurtures the “soft power” of the nation: morality, humanity, solidarity and patriotism expressed through concrete actions. These seemingly ordinary values, through the perspective of the press, become symbols throughout our country.

(Major General Doan Xuan Bo, Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Newspaper, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Writing Contest "Simple but Noble Examples")  

Continue to spread human values

The program began with the melody of the medley "The Party Flag - We are Uncle Ho's Soldiers" performed by artists and actors from the Military University of Culture and Arts. At the program, the delegates looked back on the journey of 16 times organizing the contest with the undeniable imprints and positive influence on the community and society that the contest has brought over the years. That was also affirmed by Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh when he gave a congratulatory speech and directed the contest: "The contest is not only a forum to honor but also contributes to nurturing and spreading noble human values ​​throughout society; adding spiritual strength for officers and soldiers of the entire army to strive to excel in completing all tasks." (The full text of Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh's speech is published in today's issue).

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien and Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh presented A prizes to the authors and characters in the work.

The prestige, persistence and influence of a meaningful contest are immediately demonstrated by the presence of simple yet noble examples honored in the contest. In the first row of delegates are veteran journalist Ha Dang, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Head of the Central Ideology-Culture Committee (now the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee) and Senior Lieutenant General, Academician, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Huy Hieu, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Minister of National Defense. These are the two characters honored in the works that won the A prize this season. The moment author Tong Thi Hai Ly helped the character - journalist Ha Dang onto the stage moved many people because this year, he turned 97 but still "Lying down at night, sleeping soundly / As if putting down his pen, he suddenly became worried".

It was even more touching when among the 3 characters in the works that won the A prize, along with journalist Ha Dang and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu, was Lieutenant Colonel Le Thi Hang, Director of Center C4, Viettel Aerospace Institute (Military Industry-Telecoms Group - Viettel). She is the character in the work "Missile Girl" (author Manh Thang-Thu Hoa) which won the A prize of the 16th Writing Contest. That 8X female soldier clearly demonstrated her passionate spirit of creativity, asserting the intellectual capacity of Vietnamese youth in the new era with many achievements in research and application of technology to improve national defense potential, contributing to building the Army and protecting the Fatherland.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Loi, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association and Major General Tran Ngoc Anh, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the General Political Department, Director of the Political Department, General Political Department awarded the B prize to the authors and souvenir cups and certificates of honor to the characters in the winning works.
Major General Doan Xuan Bo and comrade Tong Van Thanh, Head of the Press-Publishing Department/Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, presented the C prize to the authors and honored the characters in the work.

The succession of generations with tireless and important contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, regardless of circumstances or fields, has truly been an inspirational image and also the message that the Writing Contest "Simple but Noble Examples" always aims for. Therefore, Associate Professor, Doctor, journalist Nguyen Hong Vinh, who has accompanied the contest for many years, said: "The theme of the contest is very true and true to the reality of life in the Army and society. Organizing a journalism contest 16 times is a great effort and determination of the People's Army Newspaper in both cognitive viewpoints, guiding ideology and selecting quality works that vividly demonstrate that guiding ideology."

Colonel Pham Van Truong, Director and Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Publishing House and Ms. Vu Thu Hang, Director of Communications of Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank, presented the Encouragement Prize to the authors and souvenir cups and certificates of honor to the characters in the winning works.

Following the success of the 16th Writing Contest, at the closing and awarding ceremony, Major General Doan Xuan Bo, Head of the Organizing Committee, launched the 17th Writing Contest "Ordinary but Noble Examples" (2025-2026). (See the contest rules on the electronic People's Army Newspaper at: qdnd.vn). This time, with the participation of the People's Army Newspaper; the Press-Publishing Department/Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission; the People's Army Publishing House and Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank; and the participation and companionship of the 20th Army Corps - Saigon Newport Corporation, the 17th Writing Contest will continue to be a place for authors and writers to demonstrate their sense of responsibility and join hands to spread good things in the community through articles discovering and honoring ordinary but noble examples.

The Organizing Committee would like to thank the following units for their support of the contest: Saigon Newport Corporation, Vietnam National Industry and Energy Group (Petrovietnam), Hanoi Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (HABECO), Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV), TH Group, MB AGEAS Life Insurance Company Limited, Z121 Factory, Tan Hiep Phat Trading-Service Company Limited.

DUONG THU

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-16/hanh-trinh-lan-toa-nhung-gia-tri-song-tot-dep-848410