Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago recognized as first inter-provincial world heritage site

The UNESCO has added Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago in northern Vietnam to the World Heritage List, making it the first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site in Vietnam.

UNESCO announced the new inscription of the Vietnamese site at the 45th working session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last Saturday.

Located in the northern port city of Hai Phong, Cat Ba includes over 360 islands, of which Cat Ba is the largest. The island is surrounded by limestone karst mountains rising from turquoise waters that make it an ideal destination for cruise tours.

Located to the east of Cat Ba is Lan Ha Bay that is home to around 400 islands, all of them covered with trees and other vegetation, and Cai Beo fishing village, known as the oldest in Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, around two hours to the east of Hanoi, was named by UNESCO as a world heritage site twice in 1994 and 2000.

According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, the recognition was due to Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago boasting natural beauty with limestone islands covered with vegetation and sharp limestone peaks rising above the sea with karst features such as domes and caves.

The area is also home to critically-endangered species such as Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) assessed as Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2015) in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and in the Vietnam Red Book.

It is home to various rare animals and plants, and houses the country’s largest maritime forest with an area of more than 17,000 hectares.

Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to UNESCO, said that the recognition affirms international appreciation for Vietnam’s efforts to protect heritage sites.

Industry insiders expected the recognition would contribute to promoting the tourism image of Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago on global tourism map.

Before the new addition, Vietnam was home to eight UNESCO-recognized world heritage sites, namely the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province, Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, the Hue Imperial Citadel City in Thua Thien-Hue province, Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province, Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi, the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty in Thanh Hoa province, and the Trang An Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province.