LONDON — For the first time, a Chinese real estate project won a heavyweight award at the International Property Awards on Saturday evening.

Guoson Centre — the flagship project of GuocoLand (China) Ltd (GLC) — won Best International Mixed-use Development at the awards held at the Lancaster Hotel in London.

The achievement sets an important milestone for China as the first time that one of its mixed-use projects was honored "Best International" in the 16 years since the awards’ inception.

These highly coveted awards are regarded as the world's most prestigious accolades in the field of property development, with the best real estate professionals across the globe vying for ultimate recognition of their work.

The few, but outstanding, finalists for the real estate world’s biggest prize are carefully judged by a select panel of 51 professionals with impeccable knowledge of their craft.

Qin Gang, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1st right), and Violet Lee, group managing director of GuocoLand (China) Ltd (3rd right), attend the awards ceremony in London on Nov 27, 2010. [Photo/Zhang Chunyan/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Winning this award strengthens our confidence in China's real estate market, as well as in developing large-scale integrated mixed-use developments," said Violet Lee, group managing director of GuocoLand China.

Award-winning Guoson Centre is a sustainable and fully integrated development brand in Beijing and Shanghai. Comprising large-scale cosmopolitan Guoson Mall, five-star British-style Guoman Hotels, Grade A Office Towers, high-end residences, and expansive Singapore-inspired "Garden City" landscaping, Guoson Centre embodies the "Work, Live, Play" concept of a city within a city.

Built specifically on prime locations that integrate two of the largest transportation hubs in the world, Guoson Centre provides local, national, and global interconnectivity while satisfying the market's needs for eco-friendly environments and cosmopolitan lifestyles.

Established in 1994, GuocoLand China is the property arm of Hong Leong Group, one of Asia's leading conglomerates.