Sisomphu Singdala, a Lao student living in Vietnam, has been awarded a special prize in an international competition focusing on the rich culture and history of Thang Long-Hanoi, entitled “Hanoi: Your Destination”.

At the awards ceremony in Hanoi on Nov. 13, the organising board also presented the first prize to a Frenchman, Chaplain Philipe.

Speaking at the function, President of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations, Pham Xuan Hang, praised the entries by foreign contestants and appreciated their promotion of the image of the peaceful city of Hanoi.

The contest, has been held annually since 2000, is open to both foreigners and overseas Vietnamese and is conducted online in six languages: English, Russian, French, Chinese, Esperanto and Vietnamese.

With the topic “Discovery of the historical and cultural imprints of Hanoi’s Old Quarter”, this year’s contest received 1,402 online entries from many countries around the world.

The Ministry of Education and Training’s Service Centre for Foreign Students received the first team prize.