This is a momentum to create momentum for Lang Son tourism to develop quickly and sustainably in the coming time.
Bac Son Valley is located in Lang Son Geopark. Photo: Lang Son Geopark
Unique values
Lang Son Geopark (CVDC) was established in 2021, spanning the boundaries of 8 districts and cities with an area of 4,842km2 and a population of about 627,000 people. Because it is located mainly in the Bac Son arc, a large limestone mountain range, located in the territory of Lang Son and Bac Giang provinces, this place has many of the most massive and majestic caves in Vietnam.
Lang Son Geopark owns many archaeological sites of international value. Archaeologists have discovered relics dating back 30,000 - 470,000 years ago in Tham Khuyen and Keo Leng caves. At Mai Pha site, tens of thousands of pottery pieces, stone tools, and jewelry dating back 3,500 - 5,000 years were also found. This proves that Lang Son Geopark is one of the cradles of ancient Vietnamese people. In particular, in Na Duong valley, many fossils of giant flora and fauna such as crocodiles, turtles, monitor lizards, angiosperms... dating back 40 - 50 million years ago were discovered. The fossils also show that this place used to be the East Sea. The unique paleontological values at Na Duong have attracted the attention of many international scientists, and at the same time show the unique values of the geological and geomorphological history of Lang Son Geopark.
Tectonic activities and geological movements hundreds of millions of years ago have created beautiful landscapes for Lang Son Geopark. But the "soul" of the Geopark is the presence of humans, the process of living and developing of 7 ethnic groups on this land. Over thousands of years of development, the process of settlement of residents in Lang Son Geopark has created a system of famous landscapes, historical and cultural relics and diverse intangible cultural heritages such as the Ngo Tro festival, Na Nhem festival; Tay ethnic lion dance, sli singing; especially the worship of the Three Palaces Mother Goddess, Then singing has been recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The blend of heritage colors within a diverse geological and geomorphological landscape system has created a "flow of life in the sacred land" for Lang Son Geopark that is difficult to find in other regions.
“Leverage” for tourism development
In order to promote tourism development into a spearhead economic sector based on its existing foundation, Lang Son province is focusing on completing the dossier to request UNESCO to recognize Lang Son Geopark as a Global Geopark by 2025. This will be a "momentum" to help this place become a potential and attractive tourist destination. With the theme "The flow of life in the sacred land", Lang Son Geopark will form 4 tourist routes named: "Discovering the world of the Upper Realm", "Journey to the Heavenly Realm", "Wildlife on Earth", "Discovering the Aquarium" with 38 tourist attractions being implemented. The journey to explore the routes mainly goes through National Highways 1A, 1B, 4B and 279; each route has 7-11 attractions. A convenient transportation system is a prerequisite to attract tourists to Lang Son Geopark.
However, currently in Vietnam there are 3 global geoparks recognized by UNESCO, therefore, to develop the tourism potential of Lang Son Geopark after becoming a global geopark, Lang Son province needs to research and develop its own distinct values compared to other geoparks, specifically the system of geological and archaeological heritage associated with the worship of the Three Palaces. From there, build unique tourism routes and products, contributing to positioning the brand with its own identity.
Appreciating the tourism development potential of Lang Son Geopark after being recognized by UNESCO as a global geopark, Chairman of Hanoi Travel Club Truong Quoc Hung said that this is a "lever" to attract domestic and international tourists to Lang Son in particular and Vietnam in general. However, the locality needs to pay attention to conservation work for sustainable development, preserving wild nature and indigenous culture, avoiding "hot" development and concretization that destroys the landscape.
Commenting that Lang Son has many advantages to develop tourism but its tourism products are still vague, Mr. Dang Xuan Phi, Director of Chang Tourism Trading and Service Company Limited, said that Lang Son's tourism management agency and travel agencies need to strengthen connections with neighboring localities such as Ha Giang and Cao Bang to attract visitors to these localities to visit Lang Son. To do so, the parties must cooperate to build inter-route products with many experiences. In addition, it is necessary to promote destination communication on social networks to attract tourists' attention.
Sharing about the next steps in the coming time, Deputy Head of Lang Son Geopark Management Board Pham Thi Huong said that, in addition to building spiritual tours associated with Mother Goddess worship at temples located in the core area of the Geopark, the Geopark Management Board also deployed the construction of infrastructure systems such as building 10 parking lots, installing sign systems at 37 points on 4 routes, renovating the landscape of 16 points... Another important project that will also be completed in the coming time is the Lang Son Geopark Complex Center with a scale of 20,000 - 30,000m2, including: Reception and management center, Service and trade center, traditional night market, Mother Goddess Museum, Museum displaying the evolution of life in Lang Son Geopark area... The project will contribute to completing the functions, thereby promoting the value and "awakening" the tourism development potential of Lang Son Geopark.
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