Five students from the 2018 class of park and recreation management at the HNU-ASU Joint International Tourism College of Hainan University (HAITC) won excellence awards at the 12th Yuanye Awards Competition.

Launched in 2010, the annual event is one of the most influential international contests for college students in Asia. It is open to enterprises in the fields of architecture, planning, landscape and environmental art in China and abroad, and explores excellent designers and outstanding works, commends advanced entities and individuals, enhances the creativity and influence of designers, and promotes international exchanges and the future development of the industry.

HAITC students have attended the competition since 2017 and won prizes every year.

HAITCers exchange views on their works at the 12th Yuanye Awards competition. [Photo/haitc.hainanu.edu.cn]

Yang Jiaqian, a HAITC student, built the space around a river into a waterfront park, which meets residents’ demands for an open environment. In her work, Yang set places for wetlands used for flood control, wooden boardwalks for getting close to the water and rainwater gardens for purification. She also introduced a variety of animals and plants to increase ecological diversity and ornamental value.

Yang said this competition has deepened her understanding of urban and rural planning and helped her learn several software programs while improving her awareness of severe environmental problems.

She also expressed her gratitude to HAITC and the teachers. "I have learned a lot in the classes of urban and rural planning theory and CAD, which helped me to win this honor. I am also very grateful to Yang Mei, my teacher, for her explanation in class and after-class guidance. I could not have done well in this competition without her instructions," Yang said.

Zhang Yining, another prize winner, focused with his team on the mismatch between arcade-houses and their surrounding areas as well as the atmosphere of Haikou, a tourist city in Hainan province.The team put forward the two goals of improving the scenic spot to merge with Hainan culture and transforming old urban areas to enhance living conditions.

Following field investigation, document retrieval, case collection, questionnaire survey and other preliminary preparations, the team analyzed local culture, tourist patterns and crowds, and consulted experts and scholars to reconstruct the road network for community transformation, formulating strategies for culture and tourism development and drawing a design sketch. Their efforts led to the honorary award.

"With the joint efforts of our team members, we won the award, which tells us that our efforts were not in vain," Zhang said. He also expressed gratitude to his teachers, saying that their weekly guidance inspired them and played a positive role in their future planning.