Chairman of the Hanoi City People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh has just issued a decision to award the title of Outstanding Citizen of the Capital in 2023. These excellent citizens include Nguyen Huu Phuc (a.k.a. Le Duc Van), Head of the Liaison Committee of the Youth Union for the National Salvation of Hoang Dieu Citadel, and writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien.

Shining examples of Hanoians

Hanoi writer and researcher Nguyen Ngoc Tien was awarded the title of "Outstanding Citizen of the Capital 2023". Photo: Lao Dong Newspaper

Writer and "Hanoiologist" Nguyen Ngoc Tien, born in 1958, is considered one of Hanoi's most prolific contemporary writers.

During his 30 years as a journalist at Hanoimoi Newspaper, Nguyen Ngoc Tien has written many articles on cultural issues and won many journalism awards for his investigative reports. However, his strength is still writing on Hanoi.

He is the author of several bestselling books on Hanoi, such as "5678 Steps Around Sword Lake", "Traveling Along Hanoi", "Traveling Across Hanoi", "Traveling Through Hanoi", as well as novels such as "Hanoian Soldiers", "Fragile", "Madame Tu Hong", and others. Among them, "Traveling Along Hanoi" and "Traveling Across Hanoi" won the 2012 "Bui Xuan Phai - For the Love of Hanoi" Award and the 2012 Hanoi Art and Literature Award.

With hundreds of articles, studies, and novels about the capital, Nguyen Ngoc Tien is remembered as a writer imbued with Hanoi's soul, dignity, and daily life.

"Because I want the things I write to last longer in people's minds, I've chosen a style of writing that, as Confucius put it, is 'description without comment'; it's up to the reader to judge," he once told the local press.

"I was born and raised in Hanoi. From childhood to adulthood, I was imbued with Hanoi's culture and way of life, so I just wrote like that. No flattery. No blandishments," he added.

The popular Hanoi-themed books by well-known Hanoi writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien. Photo: Youth Publishing House

Another outstanding citizen of Hanoi is Nguyen Huu Phuc, alias Le Duc Van, 97. He was once the head of the Liaison Committee of the National Salvation Youth Union of Hoang Dieu Citadel (1943-1945) and the editor of the newspaper "Soul of the Country" - the voice of the youth of Hoang Dieu Citadel (former name of Hanoi).

As a student at Buoi School, Le Duc Van participated in the Ngo Quyen Squad (a revolutionary patriotic student organization at the school) and was admitted to the Youth Union for National Salvation in early 1944. He became a member of the Communist Party at the age of 16.

The veteran general recalled that "according to the instructions of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Party at the end of February 1943, every large city must have a 'Youth Movement Committee' (to mobilize all young people for the revolution) and a youth newspaper. The first issue of Soul of the Country, with Van as editor-in-chief, was published one year later in 1944.

With only four pages, the first Hanoi Youth Newspaper was secretly printed at House No. 15, Hang Phen Street, with the aim of propagating the revolutionary policies and guidelines of the Viet Minh troops, as well as the activities of the National Salvation Youth Union of Hoang Dieu Citadel.

In 1945, when the August Revolution broke out, the 6th issue was printed but not published. From that historical moment, a new page was turned in the Vietnamese revolution. The National Salvation Youth Union of Hoang Dieu Citadel also fulfilled its historic mission.

Nguyen Huu Phuc, alias Le Duc Van, Head of the Liaison Committee of the National Salvation Youth Union of Hoang Dieu Citadel (1943-1945), editor of the newspaper "Soul of the Country". Photo: VNA

Encouraging goodness

In addition to the two outstanding citizens of Hanoi mentioned above, there are eight other individuals who will also be honored with the title of "Outstanding Capital Citizen 2023", who are

Le Dinh Duat, member of the Veterans Association of Thanh Xuan Trung Ward, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi.

Nguyen Phi Duc, Chairman of the Board of Duong Lieu Agricultural, Commercial and General Service Cooperative, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi.

Instructor Nguyen Hoang Ngan, Karate Department - Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports.

Outstanding Teacher Bui Van Phuc, Vice Principal of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School, Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

Lieutenant General Hero of the People's Armed Forces Khuat Duy Tien, member of the Veterans Association of Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

Over the past 31 years, the "Good People, Good Deeds" movement has become part of the city's cultural lifestyle and unique identity with a thousand years of civilization.

To date, nearly 30,000 people in the city have been awarded the title of "Good Persons, Good Deeds", and 129 people with exceptional contributions in various fields have been awarded the title of "Outstanding Citizen of the Capital".

The annual list of "Outstanding Citizens of the Capital" includes people from various professions, including farmers, factory workers, educators, businessmen, photographers, athletes, military and public security officers, and others.