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 October.

The Can Tho Construction Department said the award has given the city an opportunity to promote its image with the international community.

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.

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

The busy Ninh Kieu waterfront is a hub for boat trips on surrounding waterways. Illuminated at night, Can Tho’s waterfront is home to floating restaurants, bars and hotels.

The city aims to turn tourism into an economic spearhead by 2020, significantly contributing to the city’s service sector as well as local growth.

It is expected to welcome 8 million tourists by the end of this year, including 940,000 foreign arrivals, earning 3.15 trillion VND (141.8 million USD) from tourism and generating jobs for more than 39,000 labourers.