The “immortal” beauty of a natural wonder
With thousands of undulating limestone islands, mysterious caves and pristine beaches, Ha Long Bay is a vivid ink painting, converging all the beauty of nature. The value of Ha Long Bay lies not only in its physical beauty but also in its rich biodiversity, unique ecosystem and distinctive geological and geomorphological values.
The limestone islands in Ha Long Bay were formed over millions of years, creating a system of caves, grottoes and unique topographic structures that cannot be found anywhere else. Hundreds of rare species of flora and fauna, including many endemic species, live here. Ha Long Bay is also associated with many legends and folk tales, creating a unique cultural feature, which are stories that attract tourists when they come to visit and experience.
Ms. Dianna Falk, a tourist from Germany, expressed her surprise at the beauty and majesty of Ha Long Bay. She said that this was her first time coming to Ha Long Bay and she had to say that the natural landscape in the bay was very beautiful and unique, especially the mystery from the legends about the Dragon that the tour guide shared. During the journey to visit and experience the caves, and see the large and small islands, Ms. Dianna Falk realized that the world of animals and plants here is very diverse and rich.
Coming to Ha Long Bay for the 4th time, Ms. Ho Thi Kim Thi, a tourist from Tan Chau town, An Giang province, shared that the bay has a special attraction for her and her husband, so every time they come to Quang Ninh, her family will have a journey to see the bay. After each return, she feels that the landscape here still retains its inherent wild and natural beauty. Especially the revival after the devastation of storm No. 3 (Yagi). According to Ms. Thi, nature has given Quang Ninh a heritage that other places cannot have; at the same time, it brings a livelihood and great economic development opportunities for the locality.
In particular, on September 16, 2023, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago ( Hai Phong ) were once again recognized as World Natural Heritage. This is the first dual World Natural Heritage of Vietnam, of great significance to Vietnam in general and the two provinces and cities of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong in particular.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Thai, former Deputy Head of Ha Long Bay Management Board, said that when Ha Long Bay was first recognized as a World Natural Heritage, it had a great influence on the awareness, thoughts and feelings of the people of Quang Ninh in particular and the whole country in general. It was a great source of pride and an important step for Vietnam to integrate into the international community in the field of conservation and promotion of Natural Heritage.
For the third time, when Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba archipelago were recognized as World Natural Heritage, Mr. Thai said that this was a great benefit for the country and region; the two localities need to coordinate in management and protection well, avoiding the situation of being "skewed" in terms of mechanisms, institutions, and policies, because in the eyes of tourists, the community, and international experts, the Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba archipelago are a unified heritage complex without administrative boundaries, but only natural boundaries and the difference here is that it is an inter-regional Heritage. Mr. Thai believes that with common responsibilities and interests, the two localities will have measures and common management regulations to better preserve Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba, making it an attractive destination for domestic and international tourists.
Ha Long Bay – new opportunities for the future
With its great potential, Ha Long Bay will continue to develop and affirm its position on the world tourism map. In the future, Ha Long Bay can become a leading cultural and ecological tourism center, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Over the past 30 years, Ha Long Bay has proven its strong vitality and everlasting value. To keep Ha Long Bay a precious gem of Vietnam, we need to join hands to protect and develop this heritage in a sustainable way.
The beauty of Ha Long Bay lies not only in its majestic natural landscape but also contains many special values such as: Geological and geomorphological values with thousands of large and small limestone islands, creating a spectacular scene with strange and unique shapes; mysterious cave systems, with stalactites and stalagmites creating beautiful natural works of art...
In terms of biodiversity value, the bay has many mangrove forests that are home to many animal species, especially birds; it is home to many rare species of flora and fauna, including many endemic species, creating biodiversity.
Ha Long Bay is also known for its long-standing cultural and historical values, with many stories and legends associated with the rocky islands, caves and traditional fishing of the local people. This is one of the top tourist destinations in Vietnam, generating a large source of revenue for the tourism industry. In addition, aquatic resources in the Bay have brought income to local people. Over the past 30 years, Ha Long Bay has welcomed over 56.3 million visitors (including 30.5 million foreign visitors), with entrance fees reaching over VND 8,472 billion. In addition to preserving the original state of the heritage according to UNESCO regulations, the work of promoting the heritage to bring socio-economic values to Quang Ninh in particular and Vietnam in general is very effective.
According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Thai, former Deputy Head of Ha Long Bay Management Board, it can be affirmed that Ha Long Bay is not only a natural beauty but also a priceless asset of humanity. The protection, conservation and sustainable development of the bay is not the responsibility of just one person. Mr. Thai also affirmed that after 30 years, Ha Long Bay has a new look, the landscape still preserves its pristine beauty, but has invested in port infrastructure, transportation along the bay, raising the bay to be worthy of being a natural wonder of the world...
However, Mr. Vu Kien Cuong, Head of Ha Long Bay Management Board, also frankly admitted that in the past 10 years, the tourism products being deployed on the bay have not had many innovations, and have not fully exploited the other unique values of the bay. Currently, Ha Long Bay has only exploited about 10% to 20% of its tourism resources. Realizing that, Vinh Management Board is coordinating with relevant departments, branches, and localities to advise Quang Ninh province to evaluate, review, and research the untapped resources. The Board is researching and upgrading existing tourism products, in addition, it will research and develop new tourism products in the direction of selecting high-class tourism products, serving high-class, high-spending customers. Ha Long Bay still has a lot of room to attract high-class customers such as cave systems, beaches, entertainment areas in areas far from the center... These are products that high-class customers are interested in.
Currently, Ha Long Bay has 8 sightseeing and tourism routes and 5 clusters and overnight accommodation points. Tourism products and services on the bay include: visiting caves, sightseeing; overnight accommodation; entertainment, swimming; kayaking, rowing boats, etc. Tourism services on Ha Long Bay are increasingly diversified, aiming at sustainable tourism development.
Mr. Doan Viet Dai Tu, Chairman of Tam Son Company, a unit specializing in providing yacht services, said that Ha Long Bay attracts domestic and foreign tourists to admire all year round. However, there is no specialized product following the luxury yacht model to enhance the experience for tourists; attract middle and high-end customers at home and abroad. Ha Long is completely capable of exploiting the luxury models that some other countries in Southeast Asia are exploiting effectively, bringing high economic benefits. However, Ha Long is lacking a 5-star private yacht marina to match its scale and development potential.
However, in order for the World Natural Heritage to last long and leave a deep impression on domestic and foreign tourists, in addition to the achievements, the locality needs to strengthen conservation work, invest in research projects, monitor and protect the environment, limit polluting activities; raise public awareness, organize propaganda and education activities so that people can better understand the value of the heritage and protect it together.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/30-nam-di-san-thien-nhien-the-gioi-vinh-ha-long-ve-dep-bat-tu-va-nhung-co-hoi-moi-20241214081153086.htm
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