No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park was officially inaugurated in central Hồ Chí Minh City on February 12

No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park is one of nine priority projects that give concrete form to HCM City’s direction of making green areas and community spaces a central pillar of its next-stage metropolitan development strategy.

The 4.3-hectare site, located in the urban core and once associated with significant natural, historical and spiritual values, had remained unused for years. Its transformation reflects the city’s determination to return land to the public and to build a sustainable and compassionate living environment for residents.

To deliver the project, the city mobilised socialised resources. Sun Group financed the entire VND 263 billion (US$10.1 million) investment and directly carried out construction. Consulting teams from both Việt Nam and abroad were engaged to ensure architectural quality, technical precision and depth of symbolic meaning.

The park was built in just over 90 consecutive days, enabling completion before the Tết holiday period, a time when Vietnamese tradition emphasises remembrance, gratitude and returning to one’s roots. Bringing the project into operation before Tết demonstrates the strong commitment of both the city and the contractor to provide residents with a dignified space of commemoration while entering a new year with renewed optimism.

A green interlude in the megacity

No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park occupies a triangular parcel of land. Designers softened the site’s edges and placed a 1,800-square-metre circular plaza at its centre. The concept draws inspiration from the image of a water droplet falling onto the ground. Upon impact, the droplet creates a recessed void resembling a scar carved into the earth, symbolising collective pain. From that point, ripples extend outwards, representing the transformation of sorrow into positive energy and hope for the future.

No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park is one of nine priority projects that give concrete form to Hồ Chí Minh City’s strategy of positioning green space and community areas at the core of its next-phase megacity development agenda.

At the centre of the plaza stands the Water Drop Monument. The ground here has been lowered by approximately four metres. The excavated soil was reused to form landscaped garden mounds adjacent to the plaza, expressing a philosophy of balance and harmony throughout the spatial composition.

The monument itself rises six metres high, with a circumference of 13 metres, and is fabricated from mirror-finished stainless steel. Inside the droplet form is a heart, symbolising gratitude and love.

The reflective surface captures images of visitors standing around it, conveying the message that the pain of the pandemic belongs not to any individual alone but is a shared memory embraced by the community in solidarity and compassion.

The Water Drop Monument serves as the park’s central focal point, carrying layered symbolic meaning and conveying a profound humanistic message

Encircling the monument are nine stepped levels and 360 water candles. At night, these 360 candles, together with nearly 1,000 integrated light points across the plaza, create a shimmering yet tranquil atmosphere, like a field of candlelight commemorating those who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nine steps are divided into three tiers, symbolising an emotional journey through the human life cycle, inspired by the idea that human beings emerge from the earth.

The lowest tier features engravings of the 12 zodiac animals, marking the passage of time and remembrance of individual destinies. The middle tier is inscribed with stone footprints, representing life journeys and lingering memories. The highest tier incorporates bronze inlays of lotus, plumeria and chrysanthemum flowers, expressing transformation, continuity and hope.

Every detail within the commemorative plaza has been carefully crafted to preserve urban memory with respect and humanistic sensitivity.

A solemn and deeply moving moment of remembrance honouring victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All existing mature trees within No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park have been preserved. Former villas on the site have been renovated and repurposed into exhibition spaces, libraries and cultural venues. The park also includes open areas for sports and community activities, as well as sculpture gardens, shaping it into a place for relaxation, healing and the organisation of meaningful cultural and artistic events, not only in the present but for future generations.

The long-term vision of HCM City

The project was carried out under an exceptionally tight timeline, reflecting the city’s strong resolve to bring the park into service as soon as possible. Over more than 90 continuous days and nights, the construction site operated on a three-shift, four-team model.

At peak times, around 500 workers and nearly 20 engineers were deployed to ensure both quality and progress. Technically complex components, particularly the Water Drop Monument, required close coordination among specialised units from within Việt Nam and abroad under the city’s overall supervision.

Beyond the permanent infrastructure of No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park, Sun Group also presented residents with a Spring Flower Festival across the entire 4.3-hectare site. Nearly 30,000 trees, flowering plants and fruit arrangements were organised into 12 thematic landscapes reflecting Tết traditions from the North, Central and South of Việt Nam, creating an additional seasonal attraction for citizens during the Tết holiday.

During the 2026 Tết holiday, the park was transformed into a Spring Flower Festival space featuring nearly 30,000 ornamental plants and fruit displays, arranged into 12 themed installations reflecting Tết traditions from Việt Nam’s three regions.

Internationally, major metropolitan centres such as New York, London, Seoul and Singapore treat public green spaces as core soft infrastructure shaping urban quality of life. Landmarks like Central Park, Cheonggyecheon and Gardens by the Bay serve not only as scenic icons but also as spaces for connection, renewal and collective memory.

With No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park, HCM City demonstrates a clear alignment with this sustainable development approach: investing in green space not solely to beautify the city, but to deepen the spiritual and social fabric of urban life across generations.

The inauguration of No.1 Lý Thái Tổ Park therefore goes beyond the scope of a conventional urban renewal project. It represents a concrete step within HCM City’s long-term strategy, where modernisation advances alongside expanded public space, economic growth accompanies memory preservation, and a dynamic metropolis continues to place people at the centre of development.