The event lured the participation of Deputy Minister of Culture – Sport and Tourism Dang Thi Bich Lien, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan; Secretary General of UNESCO Vietnam National Committee Pham Sanh Chau; Chairman of BIDV Board of Directors Tran Bac Ha and leaders of provinces of Savannakhet and Khammouane (Laos) and Sakon Nakhon (Kingdom of Thailand); representatives of Ministries, government-attached agencies. On the side of UNESCO, there were Ms. Katherine Muller Marin, UNESCO chief representative in Vietnam and experts from the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

On the side of Quang Binh province, there were Mr. Luong Ngoc Binh, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council; Mr. Hoang Dang Quang, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoai, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee together with members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee and Provincial Vietnamese Fatherland Front Committee; and representatives of related departments and branches.

Established in 2001, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is among the 238 most important ecological zones in the world. With the length of 7.7 kilometres, it boasts a system of 300 different caves and grottos which date back some 400 million years. Particularly, Son Doong, which was first explored in 2009, is considered the largest natural cave in the world.

The characteristic of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park are its karsts that are millions of years old, and said to be most valuable in Southeast Asia. It has majestic landscapes, which is formed by limestone plateaux and tropical forests, with a spectacular cave system, abundant biological diversity and many historical and cultural relics, and underground rivers. The park is also home to nearly 2,934 species of fauna and flora.

At a conference held in Bonn, Germany, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the addition of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam in its World Heritage List.

It is the second time that the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park received UNESCO recognition, the first time in 2003 for its geological and geomorphologic values.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee received UNESCO’s certificate recognising Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park as a world natural heritage site for second time

At the receiving ceremony, UNESCO chief representative in Vietnam and Deputy Minister of Culture – Sport and Tourism presented UNESCO’s Certificate recognising Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park as a world natural heritage site for second time to Chairman of the Quang Binh Provincial People’s Committee.

Deputy Prime Minister spoke at the receiving ceremony

On behalf of the Government, Deputy Prime Minister praised and highly appreciated great efforts made by the Party Committee, authority and people of Quang Binh province in management and law enforcement on natural conservation, biodiversity and protection of global values of world natural heritage site Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park for future generation.

In the forthcoming, Deputy Prime Minister asked Misnistries and government-attached agencies, especially the Ministry of Culture – Sport and Tourism and the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO to further assist Quang Binh in preserving and upholding sustainable values of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park while well implementing some recommemdations of the World Heritage Committee, aimed at improving the people’s lives and promoting socio-economic development.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee sent a message titled “Coming to Quang Binh, to Phong Nha – Ke Bang to experience and feel unique differences of “Kingdom of the Caves”

On behalf of the provincial leader, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee stressed the UNESCO’s 2nd recognition for Phong Nha – Ke Bang is an acknowledgment of great efforts made by the Vietnam’s government, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and Quang Binh province to the heritage site’s conservation.

Through this event, Chairman appealed and sent a message titled “Coming to Quang Binh, to Phong Nha – Ke Bang to experience and feel unique differences of “Kingdom of the Caves”, aiming at promoting natural conservation and global values of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.

By Nhu Y
(Source: Quang Binh Portal)