NDO/VNA - A ninth-grade student from Hanoi won the first prize at the Universal Postal Union’s 51st International Letter Writing Competition in Vietnam highlighting actions against climate change.

This year’s competition asks contestants to write a letter to someone influential urging he/she to take action against the climate crisis.

Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunications Pham Anh Tuan, head of the organising board, said the contest was opened to students nationwide from November 2021 to March 2022, touching on a pressing topic. It was inspired by the 26th UN Climate Change (COP26) conference held in Glasgow, the UK last year, with many heads of state in attendance, Tuan said.

The theme provided an opportunity for students to speak about climate change, he said, adding that the organisers had received nearly 1 million letters written by students from 62 cities and provinces nationwide.

In his letter, Nguyen Binh Nguyen from Nguyen Tri Phuong Middle School, turns himself into a gust of wind to write to renowned pianist Dang Thai Son, sharing his idea of using music to inspire thoughts and actions on environmental protection.

His letter will be translated into French before being submitted to the UPU in Switzerland.

The organisers also awarded three second and five third prizes as well as 30 honourable mentions. There were two special prizes for contestants with disabilities.