Tourism city awards 1 million yuan prize to design firm

The tourism city of Dujiangyan in Chengdu, Sichuan province, announced on Tuesday that Shanghai Zhongjian Architectural Design Institute Co, Ltd. has won a design competition for its Binjiang New Area, which includes a prize of one million yuan ($160,000).

An official of the Dujiangyan municipal bureau for urban planning said the "competition aims to collect good ideas from around the world to upgrade the layout of the Binjiang New Area, thus helping Dujiangyan become an international destination."

A total of 14 architectural design companies and institutes from home and abroad participated in the event, and 11 submitted designs, according to the local government. Officials also said the designs are "very impressive and will play an important role in the further development of the Binjiang New Area and Dujiangyan."

The Binjiang New Area, covering an area of 3 square kilometers along the riverside, is expected to feature more "international tourism elements", such as water sports games.

Located in the northwest of Chengdu, Dujiangyan is known for its irrigation system - which was built around 256BC and is still functioning - and Mount Qingcheng, one of the places where China's Taoism originated.