APAC Park has cultural art sculptures representing the member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APAC) and has become a place for local cultural, artistic and other activities.
The APEC Park is located in a triangle piece of land on the banks of the Han River, near the Dragon Bridge and the Museum of Cham Sculpture in the heart of Da Nang, Vietnam. The park was built to celebrate the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation that occurred in November 2017 in Da Nang. The originally portion of the park was the sculpture garden containing artistic sculptures commissioned by each of the member countries but in 2022 the park was expanded with a modern artistic pavilion that hosts local events and an exhibition room where activities are routinely held.
Sculpture Garden
The highlight of the APEC Park is the sculpture garden which showcases sculptures contributed by the APEC member countries. Each country created a unique sculpture and provided a name for the sculpture that represents the meaning of the sculpture. The sculptures are scattered throughout the park with a path that winds from one sculpture to another allowing visitors to casually walk along the path and enjoy each of the sculptures. The photos below are the sculptures in the garden along with the country and name of the sculpture.
Australia
Sculpture Title: The meeting place
Canada
Sculpture Title: Resilient
Brunei
Sculpture Title: Padian
Republic of China
Sculpture Title: A common vision of a shared future
Indonesia
Sculpture Title: Kapal Pinisi
Hong Kong
Sculpture Title: Mountains and streams
Japan
Sculpture Title: Radiance of rational
New Zealand
Sculpture Title: A gentle breeze
Mexico
Sculpture Title: City stories
Peru
Sculpture Title: Millennial presence in the Asia-Pacific
The Philippines
Sculpture Title: Unity in community
Singapore
Sculpture Title: Icon-Junction
Russia
Sculpture Title: First man in outer space
Taiwan
Sculpture Title: Tree of life
Thailand
Sculpture Title: Engine of prosperity
Vietnam
Sculpture Title: The origin
Sculpture Garden after dark
One of my favorite features of Da Nang is that the city showcases many of its attractions with colorful lighting after dark. The sculpture garden is lit at night making the park attractive after dark.
Republic of Korea
Sculpture Title: Beginning: Creating new dynamism, fostering a shared future
Malaysia
Sculpture Title: A symbol of Malaysia’s diversity, unity, harmony and sovereignty
The United States of America
Sculpture Title: Cloud boats
Modern artistic pavilion
The APEC Park was expanded in 2022 with the addition of a modern artistic pavilion that is not only an attractive feature for the park but it is also functional for local events and exhibits. The upper level is an open air plaza that is sheltered by a 15.7 meter tall contemporary canopy. The pavilion canopy is gracefully curved and seems to change shape when looking at it from different positions around the pavilion.
The ground floor has an exhibition room that is frequently used for local art displays and there is a parking garage underground.
The pavilion canopy seems to take on a new look closer that you get to it.
Looking at small portions of the pavilion really highlights the impressive design of this contemporary feature of the APEC Park.
At night, the pavilion is lit up with vibrant colors adding to the other colorful nighttime features along the Han River which creates a pleasant ambiance along the river.
Under the pavilion
A stairs provides access to the plaza under the pavilion canopy. The plaza is used for special events but if there isn’t an event then it is normally busy with people using the unique canopy as a backdrop for special photographs.
Exhibition room
An exhibition room is on the ground level of the building where activities are regularly held. During my visit, the room was being used for a photography exhibit featuring photos that were taken of local places, events and wildlife.
The Dust on My Shoes
I truly enjoy seeing sites that are completely unique from anything other place and the APEC Park is certainly unique and it represents an important event that was hosted by the city.
I always admire creativity and the sculpture garden is a showcase for creativity that also conveys a message. Many of the sculptures are fascinating to look at but the message of the sculpture is revealed by the name of the sculpture. The sculptures are enjoyable to look at and it can be fun to take pictures with some of them even if you are not interested in their meanings.
Modern architecture really appeals to me and the pavilion canopy instantly caught my attention. I liked how the wavy design made the appearance of the canopy look completely different when looking at it from various perspectives.
I get inspiration from seeing other people’s creativity. It makes me want to pursue my own ideas and sometimes other people’s creativity opens my mind to new ideas. Take time to let other people’s creativity help to develop your own ideas.
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