Vu Tuan San, Hanoiologist and Han-Nom researcher, was awarded the Grand Prize in this year's Bui Xuan Phai – For Love of Hanoi Awards on August 28.

Hanoiologist and Han-Nom researcher Vu Tuan San awarded the Grand Prize in this year's awards. Photo: vnexpress.net

San, also known as Tao Trang and born in 1915 in Hanoi, received the award for his contribution to research on Hanoi. A master of Han-Nom (ancient Vietnamese script based on Chinese characters) and French, he is acknowledged as a founding father of research on Thang Long-Hanoi. He is amongst the first Hanoiologists to participate in a project to clarify some issues on geography and culture in Hanoi.

He is also known for his translations of Han-Nom poems, publishing them under his pen name, Tao Trang.

The Work Prize is awarded for the creation of pieces of work that beautify the city. This year, awards were granted to researcher Tran Hau Yen The for his book on Hanoi’s ancient streets, and to Uruguayan Martin Rama for his collection of photographs of Hanoi, published in his book “Hanoi Promenade”.

The Job Prize was awarded to a group that curated an exhibition called “Hanoi colours 1914-1917”. Sixty photographs from the exhibition held in Hanoi earlier this year were published in a book. The photographs will be exhibited in Paris, France, between September 15 and November 15.

The Idea Prize was awarded to “Hanoi Fly – Lens above Hanoi” by the Hanoi Fly group, who produced a video of Hanoi from above with footage taken over ten popular parts of the city.

The annual awards were launched in 2008 by the Vietnam News Agency’s The ‘Thao&Van Hoa’ (Sports and Culture) newspaper. The awards are named after the famous painter Bui Xuan Phai (1920-88) in honour of his career and aims to continue spreading his love for Hanoi.

The Bui Xuan Phai awards are well respected and honour the contributions of individuals and organisations to society, culture and the arts in Hanoi.

Source: VNA