At around 3 am on August 1, 2025, Mu A Thi, head of Hang Pu Xi village in Xa Dung commune, Dien Bien province, was at home with his family when he heard a loud explosion from a nearby stream area where many households lived. Sensing danger, and with power cut across the area and no communication possible, he immediately ran more than 1km to reach the site.
Mua A Thi, Chief of Hang Pu Xi Village, is honoured as a Vietnam Outstanding Young Face 2025 on March 25. (Photo: Van Duc).
He went door to door in the middle of the night, waking residents and urging them to evacuate. Many were still asleep, while some elderly people could not move on their own or were reluctant to leave. Thi, along with several local officials, patiently persuaded and assisted each person to leave the zone amid heavy rain, without lighting or equipment.
After guiding most villagers to safety, he realised one family had not been alerted and returned once more to search in treacherous terrain.
Thanks to his swift and decisive actions, around 90 people escaped before flash floods and landslides swept through the village.
More than six months after the disaster, life in the village has gradually stabilised. Residents continue to speak of Thi with deep gratitude.
Soon after the incident, Pham Minh Chinh sent a letter of commendation, describing Thi’s actions as “extremely brave, wise and decisive”, and a model worthy of wider recognition in society.
The Vietnam Outstanding Young Faces Award honours individuals under the age of 35 with exceptional achievements across 10 fields, including education, scientific research, production, entrepreneurship, national defence, public security, sports, social activities, culture and public administration.
Another recipient this year was Nguyen Chi Dong from Viettel, who shared his journey in mastering advanced core technologies, helping save the country millions of USD in foreign licensing costs.
Nguyen Chi Dong, from Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, is honoured as a Vietnam Outstanding Young Face 2025 (Photo: Van Duc).
The Viettel large scale data platform developed by Dong and his team has not only addressed key technological challenges for the group but has also expanded into 10 international markets. Systems such as the GenBI data platform have generated hundreds of billions of dong in revenue while demonstrating technological self reliance and reducing dependence on foreign solutions.
“I want to send a message to the world: Vietnam is not only a consumer of technology. We are ready to master technology, data and our own future,” Dong said.
In sport, footballer Nguyen Dinh Bac and canoeing athlete Nguyen Thi Huong were also honoured.
Footballer Dinh Bac is honoured as a Vietnam Outstanding Young Face 2025 (Photo: Van Duc).
In culture and the arts, young performers including Hoa Minzy, Phuong My Chi and Duc Phuc were recognised.
Notable figures also included Dr. Pham Anh Tuan from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, listed among the world’s top 2 per cent most influential scientists, and Dr. Dang Thi Le Hang from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, recognised for her work in biomedical materials.