A grand celebration for journalists.

(Baonghean) - As scheduled, every five years, the National Spring Press Festival takes place in Hanoi. This is not only a major event for journalists nationwide, but also an opportunity for media organizations to showcase unique and distinctive Tet (Lunar New Year) publications to readers, celebrating the new year of the nation and the people. This year's National Spring Press Festival (opening on February 7th) is no exception...

Local newspapers are on display at the Vietnam Press Overview booth.

Even before the official opening of the Spring Press Festival at the Giang Vo Exhibition Center in Hanoi, officials from provincial journalists' associations and leaders of media agencies were present to oversee the display of exhibition booths. The hall on the right side of the center, where the main activities of the exhibition took place, was bustling with people coming and going. Each locality, each branch, each agency had its own display idea, everyone wanting to highlight the great achievements of their respective journalism sector.

At exactly 9:00 AM on February 7th, following the opening drumbeat by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the festive atmosphere for journalists officially began. All 120 exhibition booths of the Spring Press Festival were packed with visitors. Notably, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, along with other Party and State leaders, leaders of central ministries and agencies, and leaders of the Vietnam Journalists Association, visited the booths, read Spring and Tet (Lunar New Year) publications, and explored the exhibition booth showcasing the overall picture of Vietnamese journalism, arranged in an S-shaped space, prominently featuring the theme of islands and seas, emphasizing the significance of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa as belonging to Vietnam. This is also one of the nine outstanding achievements of Vietnamese journalism in 2014. Comrade Thuan Huu, Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association, and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, affirmed that over the past 90 years, Vietnamese revolutionary journalism has made remarkable progress in both quantity and quality, contributing positively to the struggle for national independence, the defense of the Fatherland, and the building of a prosperous country. This is something to be proud of, and it is both a responsibility and a duty of the Vietnamese revolutionary press.

At the Spring Press Festival of the Year of the Goat 2015, all localities, ministries, and sectors showcased their unique publications linked to the outstanding achievements of their press agencies over the past year. While Da Nang Newspaper presented images of innovation with landmark projects such as the administrative building, the Dragon Bridge, and evidence affirming that Hoang Sa Island is an integral part of Da Nang and Vietnam, the Hanoi Journalists Association presented publications from its affiliated press agencies in various fields such as the thousand-year-old capital of Hanoi, the people of Hanoi, and the economic, cultural, and social achievements of the capital; the People's Police Press introduced outstanding publications from 17 affiliated press agencies...

The delegates are reading the Nghe An Newspaper.

The Nghe An Journalists Association created a highlight with the theme "Reviving the Soul of the Homeland," honoring the Nghe An folk songs (Vi and Giam) recently recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. All agencies and branches under the Nghe An Journalists Association, including Nghe An Newspaper, Nghe An Radio and Television Station, Military Region 4 Newspaper, Nghe An Labor Newspaper, Nghe An Police Newspaper, and magazines such as Nghe An Culture, Song Lam, Nghe An Science and Technology, and Nghe An Journalists, submitted publications to the Spring Press Festival. Specifically, Nghe An Newspaper, in addition to its Gregorian New Year edition with a prominent cover featuring the theme of islands and the Lunar New Year edition with the main theme honoring Vi and Giam folk songs, also presented its electronic edition for the first time at the National Spring Press Festival. All publications at the Nghe An Journalists Association's booth attracted readers from near and far. The program of giving away newspapers, magazines, and CDs of Nghe An folk songs and melodies to delegates and guests of the Nghe An Journalists Association had to end early due to the overwhelming interest from delegates. Comrade Tran Duy Ngoan, Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Journalists Association and Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial Journalists Association, affirmed: “Nghe An's press came to the National Spring Press Festival and to friends and colleagues in the press with the hope of the new year, reflecting the outstanding events and achievements that the Party Committee, government, and people of Nghe An province have achieved in the past year. The publications are presented in a distinctive and elaborate manner, demonstrating research, creativity, and innovation, and are admired and highly appreciated by friends and colleagues nationwide.”

The Spring Press Festival is not only a joyous occasion for journalists, but also a destination for artists, intellectuals nationwide, and residents of Hanoi. In particular, many people from Nghe An province living far from home have come to the Giang Vo Exhibition Center to read and admire press publications imbued with the spirit of spring and the warmth of their homeland. Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Xuan Son, from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, affirmed that the content of the publications in the exhibition booths is very substantial, rich, and diverse across all fields. In particular, the Nghe An Newspaper's Spring issue for the Year of the Goat (2015) stood out and impressed with its theme of Nghe An folk songs and melodies, truly "reviving the soul of Nghe An homeland," making it one of the outstanding publications of the 2015 Spring Newspaper Festival. Comrade Ho Quang Loi, Head of the Propaganda Department of the Hanoi City Party Committee, a native of Nghe An, was very enthusiastic about the Tet issue of the Nghe An Newspaper with its excellent articles, beautiful and modern presentation, and the striking cover featuring folk songs and melodies that are attracting worldwide attention.

During the Spring Newspaper Festival program, the Organizing Committee will judge the most beautiful Spring newspaper covers and exhibition booths. Comrade Tran Duy Ngoan affirmed that the Spring cover of the Nghe An Newspaper for the Year of the Goat (2015) was selected by the Provincial Journalists Association to participate in the competition and was highly appreciated by the Organizing Committee, conveying a timely and internationally significant message: the Nghe An folk songs (Vi and Giam) have been honored as a cultural heritage of humanity.

Thuy Linh