Phong Nha - Ke Bang and Hin Nam No have been inscribed as transboundary World Heritage Sites, affirming the close relationship between Vietnam and Laos.

The fact that “Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park” became the first trans-border World Heritage Sites of Vietnam and Laos further tightens the friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

From natural heritage to heritage of friendship

Accordingly, at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, the Republic of France adopted a decision approving the significant adjustment of the boundaries of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage Site (Quang Tri province, Vietnam), including Hin Nam No National Park (Khammouane province, Laos), under the name: “Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park” in the World Heritage list.

At the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, the delegation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was led by Dr. Architect Hoang Dao Cuong - Deputy Minister.

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism , Chairman of the National Heritage Committee of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, happily expressed: “Today marks a significant day and a proud moment for the Government of Laos and the entire Lao society, as Hin Nam No National Park has been officially inscribed as an extension of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a World Heritage Site in Vietnam; and affirms that the Government of Laos will continue to cooperate with its Vietnamese partners to strengthen cooperation at all levels of society, with a focus on enhancing the consultative and inclusive participation of local communities in the management of this precious world heritage site.”

Speaking at the 47th session, Dr. Architect Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that yesterday, leaders of the Ministries of Culture of Vietnam and Laos had a cordial discussion to exchange views on better cooperation in managing Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park in the future.

“The event of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park becoming the first transboundary World Heritage Site of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic demonstrates the importance of global cooperation through the nomination of shared heritage sites, contributing to promoting peace and security in the view of UNESCO, and further strengthening the friendship and solidarity between the two countries,” Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized.

The Deputy Minister expressed his desire to invite delegates to visit Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park, and to share management experience with Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic regarding this first transboundary World Heritage site.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang World Natural Heritage Site (Photo: Ko Hon Chiu Vincent)

To date, Vietnam has 9 World Heritage Sites, including 2 inter-provincial World Heritage Sites: Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago (Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city) and the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac Complex of Monuments and Scenic Spots (Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city), along with the first transboundary World Heritage Site: Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Quang Tri province - Vietnam) and Hin Nam No National Park (Khammouane province - Laos). The recognition of these sites by UNESCO serves as a model for the first transboundary World Heritage Site management, allowing Vietnam to contribute practical experience to World Heritage Site management under the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The inclusion of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park in the UNESCO World Heritage List is seen as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries in the field of cultural heritage, thereby contributing to further strengthening the friendship, solidarity, and enduring relationship between Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Associate Professor Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage and Head of the Vietnamese expert group participating in the World Heritage Committee, stated that the success achieved today is thanks to the close guidance and special attention of the Party and State leaders, the Secretariat, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Deputy Prime Ministers, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Deputy Ministers and specialized agencies of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Council for Cultural Heritage, Quang Tri province, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park over the years, who have actively coordinated closely with Laos to complete the nomination dossier to propose it for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

View from inside Xe Bang Fai cave, Hin Nam No National Park, Laos (Photo: GIZ ProFEB)

“In the coming time, to effectively manage the cross-border World Heritage site between Vietnam and Laos, both sides need to continue promoting the implementation of scientific research projects and establishing operational methods to cope with the risks impacting the heritage; assessing tourism carrying capacity in accordance with the ecological and resource carrying capacity of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park. In particular, Vietnam can support Laos in improving its capacity to develop legal regulations for the management, protection, and promotion of the value of World Heritage sites in general, and Hin Nam No National Park in particular,” Director Le Thi Thu Hien emphasized.

A journey of working together for Phong Nha - Hin Nam No

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was classified as a Special National Scenic Landscape by the Prime Minister in 2009. On July 3, 2003, at the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site for the first time, and on July 3, 2015, at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was recognized for the second time, with a core area of ​​123,326 hectares and a buffer zone of 220,055 hectares. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park shares a natural boundary with Hin Nam No National Park of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The dossier for Hin Nam No National Park, nominated by UNESCO as an extension of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage Site, was jointly submitted to UNESCO in February 2024 by the Governments of Laos and Vietnam, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at this session.

The landscape of Phu Cheuang as seen from the Nong Bua village area, Hin Nam No National Park (Photo: Jean-Michel Osterman)

Following the assessment process, UNESCO's advisory body, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), submitted a decision to the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session to approve the adjustment of the boundaries of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage Site (Quang Tri province, Vietnam) to include Hin Nam No National Park (Khammouane province, Laos), under the name: "Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park," based on criteria related to geology, geomorphology, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park are among the most outstanding and intact limestone karst landscapes and ecosystems in the world. Located at the intersection of the Annam Mountains and the Central Indochina Limestone Belt, spanning the border between Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the karst formations developed during the Paleozoic era, approximately 400 million years ago, and can be considered the oldest large-scale karst area in Asia.

The diversity of ecosystems found within this complex landscape includes dry karst forests at high altitudes, humid and dense forests at low altitudes, and extensive underground cave environments. Among these underground structures are more than 220 km of caves and underground river systems of global significance. The unique biodiversity, with several endemic species inhabiting these diverse tropical ecosystems, also constitutes exceptional values ​​of global importance.

The management of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park is proposed in two separate management plans (Hin Nam No National Park Management Plan and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Strategic Management Plan). Joint management of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park has been agreed upon by local authorities of Vietnam and Laos for many years, outlining common activities regarding law enforcement and the development of action plans to protect the heritage values.

Red-footed langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) and its juvenile at Laboi, Hin Nam No National Park (Photo: Hin Nam No National Park Management Board)

The collaboration between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in researching, developing, and finalizing the nomination dossier, which began in 2018, has been intensified since the two governments agreed (in early 2023) on the principle of developing a nomination dossier for Hin Nam No National Park (Laos) as a transboundary World Heritage Site with Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Vietnam), a World Natural Heritage Site.

Based on that, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung held direct working sessions with the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, Suanesavanh Vignaket, to implement the following: Agreeing on a plan for building the nomination dossier; assigning the specialized agencies of both sides, namely the Department of Cultural Heritage of Vietnam, to directly coordinate, guide, and support the Department of Cultural Heritage of Laos throughout the dossier building process; and with the enthusiastic support of the People's Committee of Quang Binh province (now Quang Tri province), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Management Board, and other relevant agencies to build the dossier.

The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on January 10, 2018, regarding support for Laos in having Hin Nam No National Park recognized as a World Natural Heritage site; established a working group of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to assist Laos in preparing the Hin Nam No dossier for submission to UNESCO for World Heritage recognition; and provided input on the Hin Nam No National Park Summary Report to propose its inclusion in the Proposed Nomination List.

In addition, we will provide documents and records of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage Site for the Lao side to study and include in the nomination dossier; send delegations of professional staff and experts from Vietnam to participate in workshops and working sessions on building the heritage nomination dossier; and organize conferences in both in-person and online formats to exchange information with the Lao side to finalize the nomination dossier and agree on its submission to UNESCO in February 2024.

Hong Phuong/ News and Ethnic Groups Newspaper

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-hoa/phong-nha-ke-bang-va-hin-nam-no-ghi-danh-di-san-the-gioi-lien-bien-gioi-khang-dinh-moi-quan-he-gan-bo-viet-lao-20250713220159165.htm