Da Nang and Hoi An were both presented with a 2013 Asian Townscape Award (ATA) at a ceremony in Japan’s Fukuoka on Tuesday.  They are the only 2 cities in Viet Nam to have been given this honour.

The Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman, Mr Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, said that his city had also won the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City Award in 2011.  He remarked that this year’s award is another acknowledgment of the great efforts made by the local authorities and people to build Da Nang into an environmentally-friendly and liveable city, and a socio-economic development hub in the central region and highlands.  This award would also help to create a famous brand name for Da Nang in its development progress and its international integration.

The ATA was established in 2010 by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Settlements Committee, the Asian Landscape Design Organisation, and the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Centre.  The purpose is to honour outstanding townscapes and urban development in cities throughout Asia. 

This year’s award took “Townscapes - a Source of People's Pride” as its theme.  The criteria for the award are a harmonious co-existence with the regional environment; safety, convenience and sustainability; respect for regional culture and history; high artistic quality; contributions to local development; and the capability to become a model for other cities.