A garden park featuring sculptures and installations contributed by APEC’s 21 member economies was inaugurated on Thursday morning in the central city of Da Nang.

Located just west of the city’s iconic Dragon Bridge over the Han River, the APEC 2017 statue garden showcases works that reflect a common spirit of solidarity and cooperation between the economies.

The inauguration ceremony saw the attendance of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and representatives of APEC’s members.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Minh affirmed that the park was designed to expand and deepen the public’s understanding of APEC, as well as to connect and boost cultural exchanges between peoples.

It also adds a new destination for tourists to the central Vietnamese hub.

Established in 1989, APEC is a regional economic forum comprised of 21 member states, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam, among others.

It aims to create greater prosperity for the peoples of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth, while accelerating regional economic integration.

Below are some photos taken at the APEC 2017 statue garden by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters:

A statue of the Russian astronaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, who was the first to fly into space

A Filipino work themed “Solidarity for the Community.” Far behind is a statue from Chinese Taipei.

The “Resilience” sculpture from Canada simulates the country’s symbolic maple leaf.

A work from New Zealand

A delegate takes a picture with a work from China.

“Hibiscus flower” -- a symbol for diversity, unification, harmony and sovereignty of Malaysia

A work from South Korea

Delegates from Indonesia take pictures with their countries' works.

Vietnam’s work titled “Origin” by sculptor Le Lang Luong

“Vendor Lady on The River” from Brunei

“A Thousand Years of Presence in Asia-Pacific”

Delegates care for a tree at the garden.

Two Mexican delegates discuss a work on the Han River.