Preserving Ha Long Bay Heritage

The beautiful scenery and cultural, geological and geomorphological values of Ha Long Bay are the strengths of the heritage that attract tourists.

Spread the green message

After more than 3 decades since being recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage, Ha Long Bay has a new look, the outstanding global values of the heritage are preserved intact; the potential strengths are promoted; the apparatus, mechanisms and policies in heritage management and protection are gradually consolidated and improved. These factors create a solid foundation for a strategy to preserve and promote the value of Ha Long Bay in a comprehensive and sustainable manner.

Vice Chairwoman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hanh said: "Since Ha Long Bay was recognized as a world natural heritage, Quang Ninh province has issued many mechanisms, policies and regulations on the management, conservation and promotion of heritage values, especially in the key areas of environmental protection, biodiversity, research and application of science and technology in heritage management, management of the tourism business environment and development of tourism products."

Many breakthrough solutions have been implemented by Quang Ninh province in recent times such as: Relocating fishing households on the bay to live on land; banning fishing in the absolute protection zone; ending cargo loading and unloading activities; relocating polluting facilities out of the heritage buffer zone; establishing nature reserves and special-use forests to protect the landscape. Tourism products and services on Ha Long Bay have their own standards, even cruise ships have higher standards than national standards.

Mr. Michael Burnside, an expert from the University of New South Wales (Australia), shared: “I am very impressed with the beauty of the heritage, especially when I heard about the environmental protection work of Ha Long Bay, I have more experience to apply to future research projects. Quang Ninh is doing very well in making people and tourists the center of solutions to sustainably protect the environment of Ha Long Bay. They are the ones who collect waste, limit waste sources and promote the community to join hands to protect the heritage.”

The code of conduct "Civilized tourism", code of conduct for Quang Ninh people, code of conduct "Ha Long Smile" are comprehensively implemented by Quang Ninh province.

Head of Ha Long Bay Management Board Vu Kien Cuong said: “The work of propaganda and raising public awareness in heritage protection is popularized to many subjects from domestic and international students to coastal residents, tourists, organizations and individuals with socio-economic activities on Ha Long Bay associated with educational, extracurricular and practical activities on protecting the landscape, environment and heritage values of Ha Long Bay”.

Since the 2000-2001 school year, Quang Ninh province has introduced the Ha Long Bay heritage protection education program into schools. This has been evaluated as quite effective and has been widely replicated. In addition, it is necessary to mention the effectiveness of the Ecoboat ecological boat education model, an extracurricular activity on environmental protection in Ha Long Bay with the motto of playing while learning, learning while playing since 2005.

Tran Van Hieu from Cam Pha city said: "The vivid educational models have helped us understand and raise awareness of protecting the environment of Ha Long Bay, and at the same time we have accumulated more knowledge about the special and unique values of the world natural heritage of Ha Long Bay."

A team of United Nations experts assesses the damage caused by Typhoon Yagi to Ha Long Bay.

Currently, waste generated from socio-economic activities in the bay is centrally managed and controlled. All cruise ships have a system to treat wastewater mixed with oil; newly built cruise ships must install a domestic wastewater treatment system that meets standards; wastewater treatment systems at tourist attractions in the bay are invested in and upgraded, applying advanced technology in treatment, ensuring standards are met. All cruise ships have signed a commitment to strictly implement and control the use of no disposable plastic products. This has received many positive responses from tourists.

Elevating heritage brands

The brand value of Ha Long Bay heritage is increasingly high, being the destination of honorable awards with 3 times being recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage; surpassing 200 wonders of many countries to be voted as 1 of the 7 new natural wonders of the world; honored as one of the most beautiful bays in the world; awarded the title, announced as the top destination in Vietnam in 2018; 1 of 4 ideal destinations to watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets...

Notably, in 2024, Ha Long Bay was named in the rankings of prestigious travel magazines, ranking 3rd in the list of the world's best destinations in 2024 according to the "Travelers Choice Awards - Best of the Best Destinations". Ha Long Bay has also been the setting for filming many famous movies and documentaries.

Recently, working with Quang Ninh province, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center Lazare Eloundou Assomo highly appreciated Quang Ninh province's efforts to solve environmental challenges and the management and conservation of Ha Long Bay.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong shared: The presence of Ha Long Bay in the UNESCO World Heritage List has affirmed the natural beauty, richness of landscape, culture and ecology of Quang Ninh province in particular and the country in general. The province's tourism industry has actively contributed and created momentum to promote many other industries and fields, create jobs, improve and enhance people's lives.

Quang Ninh province's planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, focuses on linking conservation and sustainable development of Ha Long Bay.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province affirmed: The local community plays an important role in protecting the heritage value and participating in organizing service and tourism activities on Ha Long Bay in a harmonious and appropriate manner; prioritizing heritage protection in parallel with the work of preserving, exploiting and sustainably promoting the values of the world heritage. The local community is the central factor, deciding the conservation work, especially contributing actively to the propaganda to the younger generation, because this is the "important factor" deciding the sustainable existence of the heritage.

QUANG THO

Source: https://nhandan.vn/gin-giu-di-san-vinh-ha-long-post888233.html