Top 50 KIAC 2025: A New Artistic Standard and Fierce Competition
In 2025, KIAC truly became a "battleground" for global aquascapers. Looking at this year's Top 50, experts assess that the quality of the works has reached a level of near-absolute perfection.
Beyond simply having healthy plants or crystal-clear water, the works in the Top 50 this year represent a fierce competition in Layout mindset and Hardscape techniques. The authors have fully exploited techniques of depth, perspective, and lighting art to tell majestic natural stories within the confines of a glass tank. Meticulousness has been pushed to the extreme, with every detail—from tree roots and rock crevices to sand paths—calculated to create the smoothest possible visual flow.
To make it into this list of 50, each work had to be a "masterpiece," surpassing thousands of other entries and withstanding the intense scrutiny of the international jury panel. The difference in scores between rankings was often decided by the most minute details.
KIAC 2025 Final World Ranking
TOP 50 KIAC 2025
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The "Vietnamese Earthquake": 14 Representatives in the Golden List
Amidst that fierce competition, the Vietnamese aquascaping community created a true "earthquake." No longer just participants, Vietnam has risen to become a leading powerhouse with 14 works in the Top 50 – occupying nearly one-third of the seats in this prestigious ranking.
This is the clearest proof that the skills of Vietnamese Aquascapers have not only caught up with but are now shaping global aquascaping trends. The diversity in styles—from Nature and Iwagumi to highly detailed Forest styles—was excellently demonstrated by the Vietnamese authors.
The Brightest Stars
Notably, the Vietnamese flag flew high at the very top of the leaderboard, competing fiercely with aquascaping powerhouses like Indonesia, Spain, and the host nation, Korea:
DUC TRAN (Rank 2 - Gold Prize): With the work "The Way Out," the author touched the prestigious Gold award, affirming master-class status.
LONG TRAN HOANG (Rank 4 - Bronze Prize): The work "Reflection" continued to maintain Vietnam's strong presence in the Top 5.
TRINH HA LE (Rank 9 - Honorable Mention): Secured a spot in the Top 10 with the work "Rebirth."
And a host of other talented names formed a "Dream Team" for Vietnam in the Top 50: Manh Pham Duc (13), Vo Truong Nghia (18), Lich Do (20), Duong Chi Binh (24), Minh Tran (29), Truong Dinh Quang (30), Huy Nguyen (31), Tran Hoang Son (33), Chi Binh (37), Thanh Hoai Tran (38), Hieu Nguyen Trung (44).
Once again, a massive congratulations to all the Vietnamese authors. You are the pride of the nation's aquascaping community!
detail on https://kiac.kr/
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