“Wake up” Cat Ba

The majestic pearl island of Cat Ba

Although he has returned to Cat Ba many times, Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Director of Dong Hai International Company Limited, is still fascinated by the majestic beauty of the green of the forest mixed with the marble color of the rocks, the yellow sand and the blue-white of the sea... Mr. Nguyen Van Hai said: This time on the island, the Company coordinated with the Navy Political Department to organize propaganda about the sea and islands and presented 1,000 national flags to fishermen on the island district. Every time I come to Cat Ba, I really enjoy exploring the pristine, vast Cat Ba National Park and the caves with unique, amazing natural landscapes. My friends and I often go on cruises to see the overlapping mountain ranges on Lan Ha Bay and visit the seafood farming village...

Ms. Le Ngoc Ha, Tu Liem District, Hanoi has also been to Cat Ba with her family and friends many times but is still moved by the small, beautiful, poetic beaches nestled on the cliffs; loves diving to see coral or kayaking and enjoying seafood...

International tourists visit Viet Hai village. Photo: Trong Luan

With a population of 388 large and small islands, an area of over 300km2, Cat Ba is the only place in Vietnam that converges national and international titles such as: Special National Monument, Cat Ba National Park, Marine Protected Area, World Biosphere Reserve and Lan Ha Bay is recognized by the Association of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Cat Ba is characterized by its tropical rainforest ecosystems, mangrove forests, caves, coral reefs, saltwater lakes... This place is also rich in biodiversity with over 4,900 species of animals and plants. Of which, 130 species are listed in the Red Book by Vietnam and the world for protection. In particular, the Cat Ba langur is an endemic, rare species, on the list of animals at the highest risk of extinction. To date, there is only a population of nearly 70 individuals distributed solely in Cat Ba...

Mr. Pham Tri Tuyen, Head of the Department of Culture - Sports - Tourism of Cat Hai district, said: In 2023, Cat Hai island district welcomed over 3 million tourists, reaching 102% of the plan, an increase of 29% over the same period last year; bringing the tourism-service economic sector to account for 75.5% of the district's production value structure. Recently, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago was honored as a World Natural Heritage, and it is expected that in the coming time, the number of tourists coming here will increase even more. The island district is expected to welcome about 3 million 600 thousand tourists in 2024...

Journey to become interregional heritage

Ha Long Bay was twice recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage in 1994 and 2000 thanks to its unique natural landscape values as well as its distinctive geological and geomorphological values.

In 2012, Hai Phong City began to develop a dossier to nominate Cat Ba archipelago as an independent World Natural Heritage based on the criteria of ecosystems and biodiversity. However, UNESCO recommended that Cat Ba archipelago be extended with Ha Long Bay to form a heritage complex.

By 2016, the Prime Minister had issued a document assigning the People's Committee of Hai Phong City to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committee of Quang Ninh Province to prepare a dossier for the nomination of the World Natural Heritage of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago with 4 criteria: Landscape - aesthetics; geology, geomorphology; tropical and subtropical limestone island ecosystems and biodiversity. The dossier was elaborately built; seriously and closely researched under the supervision and consultation of domestic experts, international scientists and relevant international organizations.

Comrade Bui Tuan Manh, Deputy Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Cat Hai district, said: International agencies have come to the field to assess and compare with the dossier, there are some values in the dossier that they request clarification. In order for international agencies to clearly understand the values of Cat Ba archipelago, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO has carefully and elaborately prepared, from which it argued, analyzed, explained, and even committed to clearly affirming the value of the dossier to member countries of the World Heritage Committee (under UNESCO).

As a result, on September 16, 2023, 21/21 member countries of the World Heritage Committee unanimously agreed to honor Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago as a World Natural Heritage. Thus, after 10 years of preparation, most of Cat Ba archipelago was officially recognized as part of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago. The remaining part of the archipelago becomes a buffer zone for the development and protection of the core area of the heritage.

The new World Natural Heritage has a total of 1,133 limestone islands of various shapes. The expansion of the World Natural Heritage of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago has increased the inherent value of the heritage. In addition to the aesthetic, geological and geomorphological values similar to Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba archipelago also has a meaningful additional value to the heritage, which is the value of ecosystems and biodiversity.

Cat Ba Development - Worthy of Heritage

The event of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago being honored as a World Natural Heritage opens up great opportunities as well as challenges for Hai Phong City in preserving and promoting heritage values, towards the goal of sustainable development.

To promote the advantages that nature brings, Cat Hai district has organized tourist routes with routes following the coastal pass and the road through the forest to Cat Ba National Park such as: Kim Giao forest route - Ngu Lam palace; Cat Ba National Park Center - Ao Ech - Viet Hai village - Lan Ha bay. 4 caves on the archipelago such as: Da Hoa cave, Trung Trang cave, Quan Y cave, Thien Long cave and saltwater lake ecosystems such as: Ang Vem, Ang Tham, Toi cave, Sang cave... are also put into exploitation. The island district also plans 9 mountain climbing routes to serve adventurous tourists...

Cat Ba archipelago seen from above. Photo: Contributor

To preserve the natural value of the heritage, Hai Phong City has implemented many practical solutions. In particular, the city supports the dismantling of aquaculture facilities in bays of Cat Ba archipelago; thoroughly handles illegal construction works on the islands... Comrade Trinh Van Tu, Chief of Office and Standing Member of the Cat Ba Archipelago Natural Heritage Management Board, said: Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province are coordinating to complete the Management Plan for the World Natural Heritage of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago and the Regulations for the Protection of the World Natural Heritage of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago... During the 69th Anniversary of the Liberation of Hai Phong City (May 2024), the city plans to hold a ceremony to receive the title of World Natural Heritage of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago.

Resolution of the 16th Congress of the Hai Phong City Party Committee identified tourism and trade as one of the three economic pillars of the city. In addition, according to the draft planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the city identifies Hai Phong sea tourism (with Cat Ba and Do Son) as highly attractive, strongly attracting international and domestic tourists; linking with the provinces of the Red River Delta, especially Quang Ninh and the Northeastern coastal provinces to become a tourism center connecting with the region and the world.

From these orientations, tasks and solutions are being built and implemented by Hai Phong City to develop Cat Ba to be worthy of the title of World Natural Heritage and contribute to promoting Hai Phong tourism to new heights.

Thuy Lien

After 10 years of preparation, on September 16, 2023, UNESCO officially recognized Cat Ba archipelago, Cat Hai district (Hai Phong city) as a World Natural Heritage site of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago. The Cat Ba archipelago heritage includes: the entire Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba National Park, Cat Ba World Biosphere Reserve, and part of the area belonging to the communes: Gia Luan, Xuan Dam. The entire Cat Ba town, Ben Beo area, Hien Hao commune, Phu Long commune... are not included in the boundaries of recognition as a world natural heritage because this is an area that has been planned for economic development, residential development, commercial areas, tourism and services.
(Comrade Trinh Van Tu, Chief of Office and Standing Member of Cat Ba Archipelago Natural Heritage Management Board)

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