Ten exemplary citizens representing the people of the capital were honored at the Honoring Ceremony of Outstanding Citizens of the Capital in 2022 and the Review Conference on 30 years of the “Good Persons, Good Deeds” movement (1992-2022) in Hanoi on October 10.

Spreading goodness

Honoring Ceremony of Outstanding Citizens of the Capital in 2022 and the Review Conference on 30 years of the “Good Persons, Good Deeds” movement (1992-2022) took place in October 10 in Hanoi. Photo: VNA

According to Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, during the past 30 years, the "Good Persons, Good Deeds" movement has become part of the cultural lifestyle and unique identity of the land with a thousand years of civilization.

"By now, the city has had nearly 30,000 individuals awarded the title of "Good Persons, Good Deeds" and 119 persons with typical positive contributions in various fields awarded the title of "Outstanding Citizen of the Capital," he said.

"At today's conference, the city continues to confer the "Good Persons, Good Deeds" title upon 747 individuals as well as the "Outstanding Citizen of the Capital" upon ten typical persons, contributing to embellishing the good-persons-and good-deeds flower garden of the capital," he added.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Thi An, Chairwoman of the Hanoi Female Intellectual Association. Photo: tuoitrethudo.com.vn

Ten prominent citizens of the capital in 2022 include the following:

Lt. Gen. Nguyen Quoc Thuoc, Hero of the People's Armed Forces, member of the Veterans Association of Vinh Phuc Ward, Ba Dinh District.

Photographer Nguyen Quang Phung (aka Quang Phung) is a member of the Hanoi Union of Literature and Arts.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu (born Vu Duc Chinh), Vice Chairman of the Executive Council and Standing Vice Chairman of the Central Management Committee, Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Thi An, Chairwoman of the Hanoi Female Intellectual Association;

Dr. Pham Ba Hien, Outstanding Doctor, Director of Dong Da General Hospital;

Nguyen Xuan Khang, Principal of Marie Curie Hanoi Middle School and High School;

Athlete Dinh Phuong Thanh, Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center;

Nguyen Ngoc Hoai, Worker at Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd.

Dang Thi Cuoi, Director of Cuoi Quy High-tech Organic Vegetable Production and Trading Cooperative, Dan Phuong Commune, Dan Phuong District.

Lt. Col. Pham Nhu Truong, Captain of the Narcotics Illegal Use Organizing Prevention and Combat Team, Investigation Police Department on Drug-related Crimes, Hanoi City Police.

Great lessons from ordinary people

Photographer Quang Phung and one of his artworks themed Hanoi. Photo: tuoitrethudo.com.vn

Attending the conference as one of the ten outstanding citizens of the Capital in 2022, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Thi An shared that she has always passionately loved Hanoi. Although her hometown is in Nam Dinh Province, Hanoi is not only the place where she studied and grew up but also a motivation for her dedication.

Deeply touched when recalling the memories shared with her friends in the old heroic days of the capital, An affirmed: “No matter how much I try, I could never return what Hanoi has given me….”

As shared by the Chairwoman of the Hanoi Female Intellectual Association, she was born in Nam Dinh yet grew up mainly in Hanoi, spending nearly 70 years in the capital city. During her working days, she worked at the Institute for Tropical Technology (now the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), but only after her retirement she has the opportunity to devote more to Hanoi.

Since 2002, she has continuously conducted 29 projects (20 in Hanoi) on social issues, natural resources and the environment, agriculture, and rural areas.

Some notable projects include treating Lake Thanh Cong’s polluted water using biological methods combined with raising awareness about environmental protection among the surrounding community or the similar treatment of Lake Van near Temple Literature in Hanoi that ensures sustainable cleanliness.

In addition, as a scientist, she has contributed ideas to the city on hot issues, such as finding causes and solutions to the problem of spontaneous combustion of motor vehicles, school-based drug abuse identification and prevention measures, and many others.

A photo was taken by photographer Quang Phung on October 10, 1954. These children were playing in the Hoan Kiem Lake

Similarly, photographer Quang Phung is loved by everyone, dubbed “the Man Who Tells Hanoi’s Stories through Photos.” The 90-year-old artist is the creator of priceless photos of Hanoi. For him, capturing moments in different corners of life in the capital with profound human philosophies is an endless passion.

Artist Quang Phung said that he was born and raised in Hanoi, so his love for Hanoi was kindled in him since his childhood, from the house on Hang Gai Street where he lived, from the familiar street corner in the old quarter, from the trams’ jingle, from the days playing with friends by Hoan Kiem Lake... People see Hanoi as the heart of the country, while he sees Hanoi as his own heart.

Starting his photography career in the early 1950s, Quang Phung was fortunate to record many historic moments in the capital during the resistance against French colonial rule, the Liberation Day of the Capital, the “Dien Bien Phu in the Air” campaign, the day when peace was restored, the resistance war against the US imperialists to save the country, among others.

During his time at the International Commission on Control and Supervision in Vietnam, Photographer Quang Phung had many opportunities to travel and take pictures of the capital’s troops and people during the resistance period and the activities of those on the other side of the battlefield.

In particular, the photo series from the days of the capital liberation recorded the jubilant atmosphere before the takeover of Hanoi, as the army was unstoppably marching to Hanoi on the morning of October 10, 1954, while the citizens eagerly headed out to the streets to welcome them... These photos have become precious records of a heroic period in Hanoi's history.

One among the “new farmers” of Hanoi, Dang Thi Cuoi visits her organic vegetable garden in Hanoi's outskirt district of Dan Phuong. Photo: VNA

Another outstanding citizen in 2022, Dang Thi Cuoi, Director of Cuoi Quy Hi-tech Organic Vegetable Production and Trading Cooperative, is one of Hanoi's typical “new farmers”.

Having worked in high-tech vegetable farms in Taiwan, she acquired experience and modern technology before returning to her hometown in Dan Phuong Commune to build an organic vegetable garden, contributing to a “new farmer” story.

Cuoi founded Cuoi Quy Cooperative in 2017 with nine members and a cultivation area of five hectares. After five years, the Cuoi Quy vegetable brand has become popular in the market with numerous high-quality clean products while generating a stable income for many workers.