Primary student winners of the 2nd Hong Kong Chinese & English Essay-Writing Competition pose for a group photo at the award ceremony in Hong Kong, Jan 11, 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Seventy-eight Hong Kong contestants in a city-wide writing competition on Saturday won the awards for creative thinking about a thought-provoking animation. 

Participants in the 2nd Hong Kong Chinese & English Essay-Writing Competition included primary and secondary students and adults.

The contestants this year were asked to write down their thoughts of the six-minute online animation directed by Finnish director Laura Neuvonen. 

Among the winning pieces, some discussed the wisdom of letting go while others focused on the meaning of passion and dedication

The video, entitled the Last Knit, which has been a hit on the internet, depicts a character sitting on the edge of a cliff knitting a scarf, one end of which fell into the abyss threatening to drag her down with it as she refused to let go of the object of her labor. 

To delay the inevitable, she kept knitting. When the yarn ran out, she kept knitting with her hair until that ran out too. The video stopped as she toppled over the cliff.  

Based on the video, primary school contenders were asked to complete the story while other participants were invited to express their feelings or thoughts about it. 

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Among the winning pieces, some discussed the wisdom of letting go while others focused on the meaning of passion and dedication. A contestant composed a poem on his thoughts which won the first prize of the Open section. 

(Standing from left) Zhang Guoliang, president of Hong Kong Federation of Journalists; Lo Kai-shui, chairman of Sun Fook Kong Group; Tsang Yok-sing,former president of Hong Kong's Legislative Council; and Jiang Zaizhong, chairman of Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group; pose for a photo during the award distribution ceremony of the 2nd Hong Kong Chinese & English Essay-Writing Competition in Hong Kong, Jan 11, 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Organized by the Hong Kong Federation of Journalists jointly with China Daily Hong Kong, the competition received over 4,000 Chinese and English entries. Cash rewards ranged from HK$2,000 to HK$30,000. 

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Representatives from other co-organizers, the Education Bureau, Home Affairs Bureau and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, attended the prize award ceremony.

Zhang Guoliang (front left), president of Hong Kong Federation of Journalists, and Lai Ting-yiu, CEO and chief editor of Sing Tao Newspaper Group, present an award to a secondary student winner of the 2nd Hong Kong Chinese & English Essay-Writing Competition during an award ceremony in Hong Kong, Jan 11, 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Lo Kai-shui (front left), chairman of Sun Fook Kong Group, and Jamie Lam (front right), production editor of digital of SCMP, present an award to an open section winner of the 2nd Hong Kong Chinese & English Essay-Writing Competition during an award ceremony in Hong Kong, Jan 11, 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)