Building a brand from the city's emblem.

In a context where cities compete with each other through image and experience, logos and emblems become the starting point of a brand ecosystem.

Modern urban infrastructure in Da Nang . Photo: Xuan Son

The Da Nang City logo design contest continues to attract public attention, as the City People's Committee recently decided to extend the deadline for submissions until June 2026 and increase the first prize from 150 million VND to 500 million VND.

Core values

According to the plan of the City People's Committee, the city logo design competition aims to define and identify the city's brand. The selected logo will be officially used in information and propaganda activities, serving political and social tasks and promoting the city to domestic and international friends. Professional and amateur artists; groups of authors, graphic design companies; organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally who have the ability and desire are all eligible to participate in the competition.

The competition set quite strict requirements, demanding that the logo reflect the identity and cultural depth of Da Nang, while also showcasing the development vision for 2030 and beyond to 2050. Accordingly, the core value was that the logo must represent Da Nang as a land that embodies many outstanding values ​​in terms of heritage, culture, and nature in Central Vietnam; connected to world-class heritage sites such as Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and the Marble Mountains of Ngu Hanh Son.

The ancient town of Hoi An is one of the highlights of Da Nang's cultural landscape.

Da Nang is a city where many layers of cultural heritage intersect, reflected in its diverse cultural landscape ranging from mountainous regions to islands. These include notable landmarks such as Son Tra Peninsula, Hai Van Pass, Cham Island, along with historical sites and traditional craft villages of Quang Nam province.

Furthermore, the rich intangible cultural heritage, such as Bài Chòi folk art, Quảng Nam traditional theater, fishing festivals, and maritime and island culture, creates a unique identity for the region. The intermingling of maritime, lowland, and mountainous cultures, including the distinctive cultural values ​​of the Cơ Tu people, has created a diverse and rich cultural depth. From this foundation, the core values ​​of Da Nang are formed: dynamism, compassion, creativity, integration, and aspiration for progress.

These values ​​both inherit tradition and reflect the innovative spirit of a young city, contributing to shaping Da Nang into a modern, smart, sustainably developed city in harmony with nature in the process of international integration. Da Nang is no longer just a "livable city" or a " tourist destination." In the future, the city is aiming to become a regional financial, innovation, and logistics center.

Therefore, the city's emblem must be designed to encompass its past, present, and future.

City identity

With specific content guidelines, the organizing committee of the city logo design contest hopes to receive entries that ensure a harmonious balance between aesthetic elements and content expression, in a modern style, creating a positive impression; reflecting the pride and aspiration for sustainable development of the city in the future.

Simultaneously, the artwork is required to be highly versatile, ensuring flexibility in all display environments, including in-person, online, and print on a variety of materials. Furthermore, the artwork needs to maintain sharpness, clear contrast, and optimal reproducibility across various sizes, including when scaled down or used in monochrome. The logo should have a maximum of three colors.

Sharing his thoughts on the practical application of logos, sculptor Nguyen Van Huy, who has won numerous awards at various levels related to creative arts, believes that most local logos currently lack a strong sense of community. “Logos must become a product with a strong community focus; if this is achieved, the reach will be enormous. They must also possess high functionality. In the commercial age, a logo should be both ceremonial and festive. A logo must be a commercial product and be applied in all forms, including becoming a souvenir for both locals and tourists visiting the area, especially in the context of current tourism development,” shared sculptor Nguyen Van Huy.

The brand identity of Son Tra ward has received positive feedback from experts.

Recently, when Son Tra ward officially launched its brand identity, many people considered it a new symbol deeply rooted in the local identity of this place where "mountains and forests meet the sea." The Son Tra ward logo is designed with a rhombus shape and two main colors, green and blue, symbolizing the forest and the sea – two characteristic natural elements of Son Tra. Typical images such as mountains, the sea, the "Eye of Indochina" Radar Station, and the ancient lighthouse have been harmoniously stylized, creating a symbol that is both modern and rich in cultural depth, conveying the story of the Son Tra region.

Waiting for a logo that can represent the cultural identity of a region while also expressing the aspirations for development of a city is no simple task.

According to the plan, the competition's art council will consist of 9 members, increasing the number of experts to improve the quality of evaluation and ensure objectivity and in-depth selection. The competition will close for submissions on June 10th. The preliminary judging round and public consultation will also take place in June. The final results and awards ceremony are expected to be held in December 2026. The prize structure has been significantly increased, with the first prize reaching 500 million VND (previously 150 million VND), and four consolation prizes of 20 million VND each. Even if no official logo is selected, the 5 finalist entries will still receive financial support.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/dung-thuong-hieu-tu-bieu-trung-thanh-pho-3331138.html