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

The newly registered heritage profile, 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 the cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. **Photo: Ly Hoang/Source: plo.vn**

This is the result of close cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism 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 nominated by UNESCO for recognition as an extension of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park 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 globally valuable, of which Son Doong Cave is the largest cave in the world, measured by continuous diameter and 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