Nghinh Phong Tower Square in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam has been given the 2023 Asian Townscape Award.
Cao Dinh Huy, chairman of the People’s Committee of Tuy Hoa City in Phu Yen, said on Saturday that the city received the award at a ceremony in Busan, South Korea on Friday.
The 2023 Asian Townscape Awards were given to nine projects in five countries, including Japan, China, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
Nghinh Phong Tower Square is the only representative in Southeast Asia to win the award, according to the Tuy Hoa administration.
The tower square is located in the heart of a coastal park in Tuy Hoa, said Nguyen Khoa Khang, head of the city’s urban management unit.
Cao Dinh Huy (R), chairman of the People’s Committee of Tuy Hoa City, receives the 2023 Asian Townscape Award for Nghinh Phong Tower Square. Photo: Thanh Hai / Tuoi Tre |
It was designed in April 2019 and inspired by local tourist site Ganh Da Dia, also known as the Reef of Plates, and the legend of Lac Long Quan and his wife, Au Co, who are believed to be ancestors of the current Vietnamese people.
The two highest columns of the tower, which are 35 and 30 meters high, represent Lac Long Quan and Au Co. There are 50 stacked stone blocks below each of these two towers representing the legendary story of 50 children following their mother Au Co to the sea and 50 others following their father Lac Long Quan to the mountains. They are divided in the middle by a slot to welcome the wind, thus the tower is called Nghinh Phong.
Nghinh Phong Tower Square, inaugurated in 2021, is the venue of many provincial and national cultural and artistic events and has a capacity of some 10,000 people.
Nghinh Phong Tower Square is the venue of many provincial and national cultural and artistic events. Photo: Duong Thanh Xuan / Tuoi Tre |
The Asian Townscape Award, established 2010, aims to honor cities, regions, and projects that play a significant role in landscape construction.
The awards are given to projects that are environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable, and respectful of local culture and history, have high artistic quality, and contribute to the development of the region, while serving as a model for other cities.
The square has an area of 7,190 square meters and is paved with granite. Photo: Duong Thanh Xuan / Tuoi Tre |
The facility is a venue for many outdoor events. Photo: Duong Thanh Xuan / Tuoi Tre |
The tower includes two columns which are 35 and 30 meters high, and 100 stacked stone blocks divided by a slot in the middle. Photo: People’s Committee of Tuy Hoa City |
The slot is two meters wide, creating a way from the front to the back of the tower. Photo: Duong Thanh Xuan / Tuoi Tre |
The walls of the two highest columns of the tower are carved with images featuring Vietnam’s historical stories. Photo: People’s Committee of Tuy Hoa City |
The tower square is adjacent to a beach where multiple entertainment and catering services are offered to local residents and tourists. Photo: Duong Thanh Xuan / Tuoi Tre |
The project will have a lifespan of 100 years and its main material is granite. Photo: People’s Committee of Tuy Hoa City |
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