Vietnam's first transboundary world heritage site is called Phong Nha-Ke Bang.

(GLO)- On July 13, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the adjustment of the boundary of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Quang Tri province) to expand to Hin Nam No National Park (Kham Muon province, Laos), forming the first cross-border World Heritage site between two countries.

The newly registered heritage dossier, named “Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park”, is based on three UNESCO criteria: geology-geomorphology, ecological processes, biology and biodiversity.

A corner of a cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Photo: Ly Hoang/Source: plo.vn

This is the result of close cooperation between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos since 2018, strongly promoted after the two governments agreed to build a joint dossier in early 2023.

The dossier of Hin Nam No National Park to be nominated by UNESCO for recognition as an extension of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage was jointly submitted by the Lao and Vietnamese Governments to UNESCO in February 2024 for approval by the World Heritage Committee at this session.

According to UNESCO, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No karst systems are one of the most ancient, large and intact tropical karst regions in Asia, formed about 400 million years ago, located at the intersection between the Annam range and the Central Indochina Limestone Belt.

Hin Nam No National Park. Photo: hinnamno.org/Source: nhandan.vn

Spectacular caves such as Son Doong (Vietnam) and Xe Bang Fai (Laos) are recognized as having global value, of which Son Doong is the largest cave in the world, measured by diameter and continuous length.

The area is also home to many endemic species such as the black langur, the southern white-cheeked gibbon, wild orchids and the giant huntsman spider - the world's largest spider by leg span, found only in Khammouane (Laos).

In terms of management, the two sides agreed to implement two separate but closely coordinated management plans.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/di-san-the-gioi-lien-bien-gioi-dau-tien-cua-viet-nam-goi-ten-phong-nha-ke-bang-post560370.html