Many interesting information about the Vietnam - Laos cross-border heritage was shared by Mr. Tran Dinh Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) this morning at the Conference providing information to the press on human rights work and foreign information.
Mr. Tran Dinh Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ) provided information to the press. Photo: Binh Minh
Specifically, in mid-July, the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) in Paris - France has approved the adjustment of the boundary of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Quang Tri province, Vietnam) to include Hin Nam No National Park (Kham Muon province, Laos); adding the names "Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park" to the list of world heritages.
The nomination dossier for recognition of Hin Nam No National Park as an extension of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park was jointly submitted to UNESCO by the governments of Laos and Vietnam in February 2024.
Speaking to VietNamNet Newspaper, Deputy Director Tran Dinh Thanh emphasized that Vietnam's tourism industry has the opportunity to expand to Hin Nam No (currently there is only one main tourist destination, welcoming nearly 3,000 tourists/year). The Department of Cultural Heritage will provide information for the Department of Tourism and Quang Binh province to study the content of developing a tourist route from Phong Nha to Him Nam No in the coming time, promoting the development of cultural industry and tourism associated with heritage.
The event of “Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park” becoming the first transboundary World Heritage Sites of Vietnam and Laos shows the importance of global cooperation through the nomination of common heritage, contributing to the promotion of peace and security from the perspective of UNESCO, further tightening the friendship and solidarity between the two countries.
This is the first model in transboundary world heritage management, helping Vietnam gain more practical experience in world heritage management according to the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage noted that Hin Nam No National Park has received attention and research support from many international organizations and experts to preserve and promote its values. Therefore, Vietnam will also have more conditions to coordinate with international organizations and experts to continue researching the values of Phong Nha - Ke Bang.
“Many contents reported in the multinational heritage dossier of Hin Nam No have helped Vietnam clarify many issues, supplementing the promotion of values in scientific research on Phong Nha - Ke Bang. For example, the vegetation related to the formation of Phong Nha - Ke Bang, the underground river system flowing through Vietnam or from Vietnam to Laos, the habitat and activities of flora and fauna across the Vietnam - Laos border…”, Mr. Thanh said.
In the coming time, Vietnam and Laos will continue to cooperate in scientific research, clarifying the outstanding global values of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in particular and of the entire heritage located in Vietnam and Laos; improving the management efficiency of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park.
“Exploiting and promoting the value of the Vietnam-Laos cross-border heritage will contribute positively to strengthening the protection of national sovereignty and borders in accordance with the Protocol on Borders and Border Markers and the Agreement on Border Management Regulations and Land Border Gates between Vietnam and Laos,” Mr. Thanh emphasized.
The appeal of transboundary world heritage
Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park has a core area of 123,326 ha and a buffer area of 220,055 ha. Hin Nam No National Park has a core area of 94,121 ha and a buffer area of 75,834 ha. The total area of the world heritage site is 217,447 ha of core area and 295,889 ha of buffer area.
This World Heritage Site contains the largest intact tropical wet karst system in the world.
This World Heritage Site contains the largest intact tropical wet karst system in the world. Of particular importance are the Son Doong and Xe Bang Fai caves, which contain the world's largest recorded cave passages in terms of diameter, continuity, active river passages, and single cave reservoirs, respectively.
Up to now, Vietnam has 9 world heritages, including 2 inter-provincial world heritages: Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago (Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city), Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex (Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city); 1 inter-border world heritage between Vietnam and Laos.
Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park has more than 2,700 recorded species of plants and 800 recorded species of animals. Hin Nam No National Park has more than 1,500 recorded species of plants and 536 recorded species of vertebrates.
The heritage site is home to 10-11 primate species, four of which are endemic, along with the largest remaining populations of the Southern White-cheeked Gibbon and the endemic Black Langur.
Since 1998, UNESCO has recommended that Vietnam should have discussions with the Lao State with the aim of further expanding the boundary at a later stage, to include the Lao Hin Nam No Karst Reserve.
In 2003, UNESCO recognized Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park as a world heritage site, continuing to recommend that Vietnam negotiate a cross-border agreement with Laos, which would merge Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No National Protected Area.
Since then, UNESCO has made 6 recommendations on the content of cooperation in building dossiers between Vietnam and Laos.
On the scientific side, the construction of a common dossier according to UNESCO's recommendations aims to ensure the integrity of the world heritage with the largest karst system in Southeast Asia; strengthen the connection of biodiversity and ecosystems in the region.
On January 25, 2023, the Prime Minister of Laos sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam officially requesting Vietnam to send a letter of support for the Hin Nam No heritage as an expanded transboundary world heritage of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.
On February 1, 2024, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO sent Official Note No. 18 to the World Heritage Center officially supporting the above nomination dossier.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/di-san-lien-bien-gioi-viet-lao-gop-phan-bao-ve-chu-quyen-bien-gioi-dat-nuoc-2425416.html
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