Driving past the widening main road on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, one is greeted by a spectacular construction site where nearly ten thousand workers are working day and night. Tower cranes stand tall, machinery roars, and a grand cluster of buildings is rising from the former seaside. This is not an ordinary vacation project, but a "national reception hall" carefully crafted by Vietnam for the 2027 APEC summit. Its core - a conference hall that is about to become the "world's largest" - is entering the construction sprint stage.

Investing 5.8 billion yuan, striving to become the world's largest

The entire APEC summit supporting cluster covers an area of 16 hectares, with a total investment of approximately 2.186 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 5.8 billion yuan), and is planned and designed by the internationally renowned American architectural firm SOM. The project includes three major sections: the conference and exhibition center, the multifunctional theater, and the APEC park.

As of December 2025, 80% of the land reclamation and pile foundation projects have been completed, and the main structures are rapidly taking shape. According to a rigorous schedule, the steel structure of the conference center will be topped out by the end of January 2026, the external decoration will be completed by June 2026, and the entire interior decoration will be completed and delivered by January 31, 2027. After completion, the total construction area of the complex will reach 95200 square meters, with a core main hall area of 10790 square meters, surpassing the Caesar Forum in Las Vegas and officially crowned as the "world's largest conference hall". The hall is also equipped with a banquet performance venue that can accommodate 2000 people and a top-notch media center that can receive 4000 journalists, with hardware standards that are at the forefront of international standards.

Longlin Theater and APEC Garden

Adjacent to the conference center, about 100 meters away, a multi-functional theater covering nearly 68000 square meters is also eye-catching. Its design deeply integrates Eastern philosophy and cultural imagery: it follows the concept of "round sky and square earth" as a whole, and the external decoration is inspired by "dragon scales", with a grand and traditional Vietnamese cultural charm. At present, the basic engineering of the theater has been completed by 95%, and the main structure has been completed by 20%. It will be fully completed synchronously with the conference center in January 2027 and will become the core venue for hosting large-scale art festivals in the future.

The APEC Park, which connects the conference center and theater, is inspired by the curved roofs of traditional Vietnamese houses. At present, the park site has been leveled, and a symbolic theme garden representing 21 APEC economies will be planned and constructed in the future. It will not only provide a beautiful diplomatic and meeting environment during the summit, but also become a permanent landmark of international friendship and cultural exchange.

Transportation expansion and tourism boom

To ensure the success of the summit and promote the long-term development of the region, Fuguo Island is undergoing an unprecedented comprehensive infrastructure upgrade. The expansion project of Fuguo International Airport is progressing at full speed, including the construction of a second runway, VVIP terminal, and a brand new T2 terminal. It is planned to be put into operation in March 2027. At that time, the annual passenger throughput of the airport will soar to 20 million, and the reception capacity will be greatly improved.

The transportation arteries connecting the airport and the APEC complex, namely the DT.975 highway and APEC Avenue, are also undergoing intensive expansion and are expected to be completed in early 2027 to ensure efficient traffic during and after the summit. This series of heavy investments has significantly boosted the local economy: in the first 11 months of 2025, Fuguo Island received nearly 7.6 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 35%; In November alone, the number of foreign tourists tripled compared to the same period last year, demonstrating strong international appeal and growth potential. Keywords: Southeast Asia Latest News, Southeast Asia News Latest News

As this' world's largest conference hall 'transforms from a blueprint into a reality, Fuguo Island is making great strides from a tropical resort to a world-class MICE tourism and diplomatic stage in Asia and beyond. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website Southeast Asia column editor/Gao Xue