Vietnamese landmark wins 2023 Asian Urban Landscape Award

Nghinh Phong Tower Square has hexagonal stone blocks arranged side by side, resembling a large honeycomb. Photo by VnExpress/Cao Ky Nhan

The 2023 Asian Townscape Awards were given to nine projects in five countries Japan, China, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, at a ceremony in Busan on Nov. 17.

Nghinh Phong Tower Square, opened in 2021, is situated at the junction of Nguyen Huu Tho and Doc Lap in Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam.

Covering an area of almost 7,200 square meters, the tower square draws inspiration from the local Ghenh Da Dia coastal area, known for its interlocking rock columns, and influenced by the legendary ancestors Lac Long Quan and Au Co.

According to tradition, the dragon lord Lac Long Quan and mountain fairy Au Co fell in love and had 100 children. After hatching, half of the children followed Au Co to the mountains, while the other half remained with Lac Long Quan by the coast. The eldest son became the first king of the mountains, and the second son became the first king of the coast.

The tower features two tall stone columns, representing Lac Long Quan and Au Co at 35 and 30 meters. Fifty stacked stone blocks at their bases symbolize the legend of 100 eggs that hatched into the first Vietnamese children.

A slot in the middle divides the columns to welcome the wind, giving the tower its name, Nghinh Phong, meaning "welcoming wind."

During the night, the Nghinh Phong Tower lights up with lights generated by 3D technology and lasers.

The Asian Urban Landscape Award (ATA), established in 2010, is an annual award acknowledging and celebrating the contributions made by cities, regions, projects, and organizations in Asia to the fields of landscape construction and urban development.

Projects and initiatives that clinch this award undergo evaluation based on five critical criteria: harmonious coexistence with regional environment; safety, convenience and sustainability; respect for regional culture and history; high artistic quality; and conntributions to local development, capabilities of becoming models for other cities.

Recent awardees from Vietnam include the Can Tho Floating Market in the Mekong Delta, Hoi An Ancient Town, the central city of Da Nang, Hanoi Mural Street, and Nguyen Tat Thanh Square in Tuyen Quang City in northern Vietnam.