Ha Long Bay NOT IN DANGER as rumored: Culture Ministry
VGP - Ha Long Bay has yet been named in the List of World Heritages in Danger, according to the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
A corner of Ha Long Bay
The announcement came in the wake of rumors saying the site being stripped of UNESCO recognition.
On December 20, Reuters reported that UNESCO would deploy a team of experts on a field visit to Ha Long Bay to further strengthen conservation measures for the site.
The visit was part of the discussion between Viet Nam and the UNESCO World Heritage Center, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in July this year, said the Department.
At this session, the World Heritage Committee also reviewed conservation reports of 123 World Heritage Sites, including 56 on the endangered list.
Currently none of Viet Nam's heritage sites have been named in the List of World Heritage in Danger, the Department affirmed.
Regarding Ha Long Bay (in Quang Ninh Province) and the nearby Cat Ba Archipelago (in Hai Phong City), the World Heritage Committee has issued several recommendations regarding site conservation in its 45th and 46th sessions.
Ha Long Bay was recognized as a World Natural Heritage site three decades ago, on December 17, 1994. This 30-year milestone not only marks a moment of pride for Viet Nam but also underscores the immense responsibility that comes with safeguarding such a natural treasure.
From 1994 to September 2024, the bay welcomed over 56.3 million visitors, generating entrance fees exceeding VND8,472 billion./.
