The prize awarding ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People.

About 500 contestants took part in the contest organised by the Asia News Network (ANN) and China Daily.

The contest theme "Changing Asia" sought to showcase the dynamism and colourful cultures of the region through the camera lens.

About 20,000 entries were received for the contest including those from the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom.

The winners of various categories are:

Spot News: Qian Cheng, a freelance photographer from China, for his photo showing a migrant worker pulling a woman out of the sea during a typhoon.

General News: Remar Zamora of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for his photo showing children from Southern Leyte that was struck by a landslide killing more than 1,000 residents flashing the peace sign as a truck of American soldiers drive by.

Economics, Scientific and Technical News: G M B Akash of Bangladesh's New Age newspaper for his series of photographs depicting harsh conditions of Pakistani workers in a shipyard.

Portrait: Abir Abdullah of Bangladesh Bureau of the European Press Association for his photo showing a bomb victim who lost some of her toes.

Daily Life: Nguyen Viet Thanh of Vietnam News for his photo showing children watching television in Ha Giang province while a man holds the satellite dish.

Arts and Entertainment News: Guo Jianshe, a freelance photographer from China, for his "Red China" series of photos showcasing how the colour has become an essential part of the Chinese way of life.

Sports: Munehiro Okumura of Japan's The Daily Yomiuri for his photo showing a sumo event.

Nature and Environment News: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit of Thailand's The Nation for his photo showing a young boy playing with smoke while a municipal officer conducts an anti-dengue spraying activity.

Each of the winners received US$ 1,000 and were invited to Beijing to receive the awards.

To mark the inaugural Photo Tribe Cup Asia Press Photo Contest, the Asia News Network (ANN) and China Daily launched Changing Asia, the commemorative 200-page photo book.

Taking after the contest theme "Changing Asia" showcasing the dynamism and colourful culture of the region, the book features 168 photographs selected from about 20,000 entries received for the contest.

"A picture can tell a thousand words; they bring to life changes taking place in Asia in more dimensions than one," said Pana Janviroj, executive director of ANN.

Zhu Ling, editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the photos in the special edition "provide perceptions of contemporary Asia and strengthens understanding, cooperation and dialogue between the region and the rest of the world."