Achievements

A Beautiful Spring Dream (Nhat Mong Truong Xuan - Un beau rêve en plein printemps) by Pham Thi Dao (pen name Muc Chi), a class-K28 student of Graphic Design at DTU, outstandingly won second prize at the 2nd Comics Competition in 2025, organized jointly by the French Institute in Vietnam, Kim Dong publishing house, and the Wallonia–Brussels Delegation in Vietnam.

Following the prize, the publication of A Beautiful Spring Dream has attracted a large readership with its emotionally rich storyline, creative concept, and distinctive artistic style.

Pham Thi Dao (third from the right) received second prize

Dao’s inspiration for A Beautiful Spring Dream came from videos depicting the ancient town of Wuzhen, a famous Chinese canal town. Wuzhen’s tranquil beauty, combined with reflections on fate and connections in life, inspired her to create an emotionally rich story about encounters, attachment, and beautiful memories.

A Beautiful Spring Dream tells the story of Niem Chan, a young woman with a special destiny who helps souls lingering in the mortal world. During a visit to Wuzhen, she becomes entangled in a mysterious bond with Tu Khanh, a Tang dynasty official who passed away a thousand years ago. To resolve this unfinished connection, Niem Chan and Tu Khanh embark on a journey to find his lost sister. Along the way, they confront loss, longing, and deep family ties. In the end, after Tu Khanh and his sister reunite and cross the Bridge of Forgetfulness to move on towards their next reincarnation, the red thread of fate remains tied to Niem Chan’s wrist - a reminder that those destined to be together will eventually meet again.

Readers love A Beautiful Spring Dream by Pham Thi Dao

“The story’s many twists and its deeply moving emotions inspired me tremendously and motivated me to devote my full effort to designing the book,” Dao explains. “The entire work was created for the course in Comic Design at DTU. I spent a great deal of time designing the characters, hoping that the looks of each of them one would possess a unique identity while conveying clear emotions in every panel. What I love most about comics is the ability to tell stories through images and that readers can experience the story directly through each stroke of the pen. Character emotions, perspectives, and dialogue all come together to create a powerful emotional experience.”

Dao’s success today stems from her love of drawing and her unwavering dedication to this passion of hers. She developed a love for painting during her high school years and she is particularly passionate about using watercolor to express the values of oriental culture.

Before enrolling at DTU, Dao’s family encouraged her to pursue a degree in Literature Education. Her academic achievements and awards in literature during high school made Graphic Design and Fine Arts seem like inappropriate choices. However, deep down, she always dreamed of pursuing painting and living with her passion for the arts.

The young painting enthusiast with her second-prize-winning A Beautiful Spring Dream

When Dao learned about DTU’s program in Graphic Design through an admissions counseling event, she immediately felt that DTU was what she had been searching for. Getting her family behind her decision was not easy, as they worried about her being far from home and about career prospects. After much persuasion and after telling them about DTU and its diverse academic and career opportunities, the highly independent young woman received the approval and support of her relatives

“I still believe I made the right decision,” Dao says. “At DTU, I’ve been exposed to many creative disciplines: from 2D graphic design, illustration, and games to filmmaking and photography. The diversity of the curriculum has provided me with valuable knowledge and skills while allowing me to discover my strengths and talents. Every course opens a new experience. The more I learn, the more I see opportunities to challenge myself, create, and discover what I truly want to pursue.”

Although Dao had been practicing drawing for many years, it was not until she took the course in Comic Design that she started seriously exploring storytelling through visual art. Throughout the course and during the creation of the work, she received dedicated guidance from Ms Tran Nguyen Tu Nguyen, the course lecturer, who helped her gradually refine her skills and develop a clearer style of expression.

Beautiful and engaging comic pages

“Never forcing students into predefined molds, Ms Tu Nguyen always encourages us to develop ideas in our own style and to boldly tell the stories we like,” Dao explains. “She was also the one who encouraged me to submit my class project to the contest. That decision changed so much for me and ultimately led to this valuable second prize at the Comics Competition. This was the biggest proof for myself that my work has been recognized.”

Pham Thi Dao’s A Beautiful Spring Dream competed against more than

ninety submissions and survived two rigorous rounds of selection by a jury

of renowned artists from France, Belgium, and Vietnam, to win second prize in the Comics Competition

Today, Dao is more confident than ever in her drawing abilities, with character sketches and illustration concepts still waiting to be worked out. Her prize marks a memorable milestone and is the beginning of a long journey ahead: a journey of telling stories through visual art.

(Media Center)