The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Quang Binh province received its second UNESCO recognition on July 3.
At a conference held in Bonn, Germany, the UNESCO World HeritageCommittee approved the addition of two natural sites in its WorldHeritage List – the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam and theCape Floral Region Protected Area in South Africa.
It is the second time that the Vietnamese park received UNESCOrecognition, the first time in 2003 for its geological andgeomorphologic values.
In 2009, information ofthe park's biodiversity was submitted to the UN agency, but the fileswere returned. Vietnam was asked to solve issues related to theintegrity, protection and management of the heritage.
The site's new profile includes more geological and geomorphologicaldata. Since 2012, the park area increased from 85,754ha to 123,326haunder a decision by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to adjust itsboundaries.
The new information on the park's biodiversity and ecological and biological processes won it the latest recognition.
The UN agency said: "With this extension, the site shares a boundarywith the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in the People's Democratic Republic ofLaos.
"The Park's landscape is formed bylimestone plateaux and tropical forests. It features great geologicaldiversity and offers spectacular phenomena, including a large number ofcaves and underground rivers.
"The site harboursa high level of biodiversity and many endemic species. The extensionensures a more coherent ecosystem while providing additional protectionto the catchment areas that are of vital importance for the integrity oflimestone landscapes."
The characteristic of this national parkare its karsts that are millions of years old, and said to be mostvaluable in Southeast Asia. It has majestic landscapes with aspectacular cave system, abundant biological diversity and manyhistorical and cultural relics, and underground rivers.
The park, located in Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province, is home to nearly 2,934 species of fauna and flora.
In2014, Quang Binh welcomed around 2.8 million tourists, including 43,000foreigners, an increase of 129 percent compared to the previous year.
In the first three months, the number reachedmore than 56,000, and the province expects to welcome a total of 3.3million guests this year.
A cave festival entitled "Quang Binh – Kingdom of the Caves," will be organised from July 15 to 21.
Many interesting activities such as the launch of new touristdestinations, promotions and tourist discounts and farm trips will beheld during the event which is part of efforts to promote local culture,tourism and the uniqueness of the caves to attract both internationaland domestic investors and tourists.-VNA
