“Vietnam-where I live” is not merely a design competition. It seeks images that can symbolize or create a trademark for Vietnam. The competition received more than 500 entries from across the country including “A glance of Hanoi”, “Glamorous My Tho”, and “Long An”.
 “A glance of Hanoi” by Vu Thi Anh Thu (Source: designstudies.vn) |
“A glance of Hanoi” by Vu Thi Thanh Thu, 20, is a kaleidoscope of the capital city, from the world-famous Old Quarter to traditional cuisine like pho. The author uses two main colors: blue as a symbol of a peaceful city and red to represent the enthusiasm and love for Hanoi. Thu talks about her top prize-winning design: “I had to draw it twice. In the initial sketch, I used water colors that simply failed to highlight my idea. I finally succeeded on the second try the following day”.
 "Long An" by Tran Minh Pha (Source: designstudies.vn) |
Tran Minh Pha, 18, impressed the jury board with his design entitled “Long An”. Through the image of a girl with her hair mirroring the blue Vam Co river, Pha wanted to express gratitude to his hard-working mother. He said people around the world have many places to go but only one place to return: their homeland.
“The girl’s hair is decorated with peanuts, one of Long An province’s specialties. This is one unique way to promote my home province,” Pha explained.
 “My Tho” by Pham Thien Phu (Source: designstudies.vn) |
“My Tho” by Pham Thien Phu, 23, portrays the Mekong Delta city of My Tho with the Tien river surrounding prosperous communities. The design contains a full story on the history, architecture, culture and people of My Tho.
“My Tho boasts both traditional and modern beauties. The alluvium-rich Tien river running around the city is like a mother hugging her daughter,” Phu told VOV.
Ha Thi Hang, CEO of the London College for Design and Fashion, elaborated on the competition: “Vietnam is beautiful and attractive but I feel that we still lack signature images for both individual regions and the country as whole. This competition aims to fill the gap”.