HCM CITY — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ has won the 2016 Asian Townscape Award from the Asia-Pacific regional office of the UN Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT) programme.

The award seeks to honour significant efforts made by Asian cities and organisations for the improvement, revitalisation and creation of a beautiful and harmonious townscape that is safe and sustainable and respects history and local cultures. 

The awards ceremony for the contest, which consists of the Asian Townscape Prize and Jury Voting Prize, is expected to take place in China at the end of this month.  

The Cần Thơ Construction Department said the award had given the city an opportunity to promote its image with the international community.

The department has asked the city and the People’s Committee to speed up the construction of an embankment on the Cần Thơ River. The work is part of a project to enhance urban resiliency.

Begun in 2010, the sixth annual contest was organised by the UN-HABITAT Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Asian Settlement Commission, Asian Landscape Design Organisation and the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Centre.

Cần Thơ is the largest city in the Mekong Delta. Set on the southern bank of the Hậu (Rear) River, it is best known for its canal network and floating markets.

The busy Ninh Kiều waterfront is a hub for boat trips on surrounding waterways. Illuminated at night, Cần Thơ’s waterfront is home to floating restaurants, bars and hotels. — VNS