Hanoi (VNA) – After delivering Tam Thang Square and Tower in Vung Tau, a landmark completed in 75 days, Sun Group has continued its collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City by introducing another public work of significance: No.1 Ly Thai To Park, anchored by the COVID-19 memorial known as the Water Drop Monument.
Fully funded by Sun Group with total investment exceeding 263 billion VND (10.1 million USD), the park was built in just over 90 consecutive days and nights and officially opened shortly before the Lunar New Year.
More than 90 days and nights to create a new symbol for Ho Chi Minh City
The park was inaugurated on the evening of February 12, 2026 under an accelerated schedule to ensure it would be ready for the Lunar New Year, a time when families across Vietnam pause to reflect, give thanks, and honour remembrance. Construction operated continuously under a three shift, four crew rotation system. At peak periods, more than 500 engineers and workers were on site day and night.
Despite the logistical constraints typical of the pre-Tet period, contractors maintained uninterrupted progress. Three stone fabrication plants ran for 40 straight days, processing more than 2,500 cubic metres of raw stone to produce 1,350 cubic metres of finished materials for the park’s 23,000 square metres of development.
Words of remembrance and gratitude woven into the landscape of No.1 Ly Thai To Park (Photo: Sun Group)
The team also worked against time to secure sufficient quantities of premium 30 millimetre Indian granite, a thickness not commonly available in a market where 20 millimetre slabs are standard. Meanwhile, 25 artisans from the Non Nuoc stone carving village in Ngu Hanh Son, together with 30 machine operators, worked in continuous three shift rotations for 30 days to craft intricate stone elements, preserving traditional craftsmanship while meeting high aesthetic expectations.
Bringing the project to completion in just over 90 days reflects not only strong coordination and determination from both the city and Sun Group, but also a shared intention to provide residents with a meaningful space for reflection at year end and a place to begin the new spring with renewed confidence and hope.
At the heart of the park stands the Water Drop Monument, rising six metres high with a circumference of 13 metres, set within a circular plaza of 1,800 square metres. The form captures the moment a droplet touches the ground, creating a recessed hollow that suggests a well of memory, a subtle reminder of the losses the city endured during the pandemic. From that centre, gentle ripples extend outward, symbolising renewal and the strength of a city that transforms pain into compassion, solidarity, and forward momentum.
Within the droplet, a heart shaped opening speaks to gratitude and human connection. Its mirror polished stainless steel surface reflects the silhouettes of those standing nearby, underscoring that this memory belongs to everyone. The city faced its most difficult days together, and it is that shared resolve that continues to carry it forward.
The park itself has been designed as a multifunctional public space, preserving existing trees and adapting former structures into exhibition areas, a library, and venues for cultural and artistic activities. For its opening, the more than four-hectare grounds were transformed into a spring flower festival with tens of thousands of plants and floral displays, quickly becoming a gathering place for residents during the first days of the Year of the Horse.
Dr. Tran Hoang Ngan, a National Assembly deputy representing Ho Chi Minh City, described the project as more than a new park. In his view, it is a place “where people feel drawn to reflect on life and renew their sense of purpose”. He noted that few public projects receive such broad public empathy and support upon completion.
He also highlighted the broader significance of dedicating a prime central site to public use rather than commercial development. The land could have been allocated to many other purposes. Choosing instead to create a symbolic park that honours the collective effort to overcome the pandemic, he said, reflects a decision aligned with public sentiment.
From Tam Thang Tower to the Water Drop Monument: shaping the city through meaningful symbols
Before No.1 Ly Thai To Park, Tam Thang Tower in Vung Tau stood as another socially meaningful project delivered by Sun Group, with a total investment of 155 billion VND and completion in 75 days.
The tower comprises 143 columns ranging from 4.55 metres to more than 34.25 metres in height, arranged in ascending formation toward the sea. Inspired by three boat prows reaching outward, it recalls the story of the three villages Thang Nhat, Thang Nhi, and Thang Tam and their historic role in safeguarding maritime territories during the reign of King Gia Long. Tam Thang Square was conceived as a multifunctional community space at Back Beach, featuring a 3.6 metre Vong Canh Promontory that opens a panoramic view over the coastal city.
What connects Tam Thang Tower and the Water Drop Monument is a shared approach to placemaking. One rises prominently against the seascape, the other settles quietly within the urban core. Both are conceived as focal points that carry history, memory, and aspiration.
As Ho Chi Minh City continues its journey toward becoming a modern metropolis with a strong sense of identity, it has placed people and quality of life at the centre of its development vision. In that context, No.1 Ly Thai To Park is not simply a landscape project. It represents a model of collaboration between public authorities and private enterprise in creating lasting social value. For Sun Group, the park stands as a gesture of gratitude to the city and a reaffirmation of its commitment to community-oriented development wherever it operates./.
