Pham Quoc Hung, head of the Library Department, speaks at the launch ceremony (Photo: Thanh Tung/VNA)

Pham Quoc Hung, head of the Library Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the contest, themed “Aspiration for National Development”, aims to foster contestants’ thinking skills and creativity. 

“Last year, 9,000 schools nationwide and nearly 1 million students participated in the contest. The figures demonstrate that young people remain interested in reading and books,” said Hung.

He added, “Contestants can share their love and passion for reading through paintings or short stories. This helps spread the contest to younger generation, the country’s future generation, to develop the reading culture in the community more strongly.”

2022 marks the first year that the contest has reached out to 5.3 million overseas Vietnamese. Entries can be submitted starting April 1, according to the organising board.

An array of activities were held at the launch ceremony, including handing over books to some libraries, seminars on reading culture, and exchanges with winners from previous contests.