Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago recognized as world heritage

UNESCO announced the new inscription of the Vietnamese site to the list at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at 9:39 pm (Vietnam time) on Saturday.

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is Vietnam’s first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site.

Cat Ba Archipelago in Hai Phong, a major port city in northern Vietnam, is the largest limestone archipelago of the country. It includes over 360 islands, including Cat Ba Island to the south of Ha Long Bay.

The archipelago had earlier been recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve, the government news site baochinhphu.vn reported.

Ha Long Bay in neighboring Quang Ninh province was named by UNESCO as a world heritage site twice in 1994 and 2000.

Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Archipelago in Hai Phong City, northern Vietnam

The Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago cluster boasts a rich diversity of island and ocean ecosystems, reported Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.

The newly-recognized world heritage site 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.

In September 2016, the prime minister allowed the Hai Phong city administration to work with authorities in Quang Ninh province to plan the nomination of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago as a world heritage site.

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago was added to the World Heritage List due to the beauty of its natural landscapes, including charming vegetation-covered limestone islands, breathtaking limestone islets, and impressive karst formations.

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is Vietnam’s first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site

Before the new addition, Vietnam was home to eight UNESCO-recognized world heritage sites.

Among them are Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province, Ha Long Bay, the Hue Imperial Citadel City in Thua Thien Hue province, Hoi An Ancient Town and the 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.

The 45th session reviewing the sites nominated for the World Heritage List was attended by Associate Professor Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to UNESCO.

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