30 years of managing, preserving and promoting the heritage values of Ha Long Bay

Since being first recognized by UNESCO in 1994, Ha Long Bay has been carefully managed, protected, and preserved to uphold its outstanding global heritage values, contributing to the economic and social development and bringing benefits to the community.

Invaluable Values

Ha Long Bay is Vietnam's first natural world heritage site, designated by UNESCO in 1994 for its landscape value and extended to include geological and geomorphological criteria in 2000. In 2009, Ha Long Bay, along with nine other sites, was classified as a special national heritage by the Prime Minister of Vietnam. In 2011, Ha Long Bay was named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. In 2023, at the 45th Annual Session, the World Heritage Committee issued Decision 45 COM 8B.3, approving the extension of Ha Long Bay's world heritage boundaries to include the Cat Ba Archipelago (Hai Phong City).

The world continues to recognize the aesthetic value of Ha Long Bay, a magnificent natural sculpture with thousands of limestone islands and islets rising from the sea, each with unique shapes, creating an untouched and stunning landscape. The standout feature of Ha Long Bay is its stunning limestone islands and towers, as well as its unique system of caves and grottos.

In terms of geological and geomorphological values, Ha Long Bay is recognized as a mature karst landscape formed under tropical humid conditions and influenced by sea incursions. It has undergone numerous transformations and remains submerged in seawater. Ha Long Bay showcases nearly all types of karst features, including karst plains, funnels, valleys, peaks, and towers, along with a diverse system of caves that vary in size and origin.

Ha Long Bay is also recognized for its high biodiversity, with over 3,000 species of flora and fauna living in diverse ecosystems typical of the limestone mountain sea region. These include ecosystems of pine trees, ponds, caves, coral reefs, mangroves, and evergreen forests on limestone mountains.

For Vietnam, Ha Long Bay also holds invaluable cultural and historical significance. From archaeological sites and artifacts found in the area, scientists have determined that Ha Long Bay was home to ancient Vietnamese people dating back 18,000 to 3,500 years ago.

Effective Management and Conservation of Ha Long Bay

Since Ha Long Bay was first recognized by UNESCO, Quang Ninh Province, and Vietnam as a whole, have made significant efforts to manage, conserve, and promote the values of this World Natural Heritage site in accordance with both Vietnamese law and international conventions on the protection of cultural and natural heritage.

Quang Ninh Province has actively implemented mechanisms, policies, models, and human resources for heritage management. The establishment of Ha Long Bay Management Department and the issuance of temporary regulations for managing Ha Long Bay were put into action as early as 1995. In 2002, the Prime Minister approved a plan for the conservation and development of Ha Long Bay's heritage values until 2020.

The government has enacted several legal documents on heritage protection, such as the Cultural Heritage Law and decrees on the protection and management of world cultural and natural heritage in Vietnam. Quang Ninh Province has issued resolutions dedicated to managing, conserving, and promoting Ha Long Bay's heritage values. The management model and mechanisms are regularly researched and adjusted to ensure the most effective management and conservation of the heritage, maximizing the roles of the involved units, including Ha Long Bay Management Department, which is directly under the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee and responsible for managing all activities related to conservation, restoration, and heritage promotion.

In recent years, Ha Long Bay Management Department has independently conducted research and proactively collaborated with universities, research institutes, and both domestic and international scientists to develop and implement nearly 20 scientific research projects on the outstanding values of Ha Long Bay.

"The research topics have gradually clarified the values of Ha Long Bay, providing a basis for management and conservation solutions, ensuring the effective promotion and exploitation of the heritage values. Additionally, the heritage values are constantly monitored and assessed in response to environmental, climatic changes, and the impact of socio-economic activities. The 24/7 management model has proven effective in protecting and monitoring heritage resources," said Mr. Vu Kien Cuong, Director of the Ha Long Bay Management Department.

In recent years, many pioneering and breakthrough solutions have been implemented, demonstrating the determination to prioritize the preservation of the heritage values intact and protect biodiversity. These include relocating fishing households from floating villages on the bay to the mainland since 2014, ensuring social welfare for local residents.

Quang Ninh frequently conducts surveys and creates records of the heritage values to ensure sustainable conservation and development while addressing and mitigating environmental pollution. Waste collection and treatment have been prioritized and are making positive progress. Quang Ninh has reduced the amount of single-use plastic waste collected at tourist spots on the bay by 90%, and replaced 94% of the foam buoys on floating structures.

The promotion and publicizing of Ha Long Bay have been diversified in terms of form and content, enhancing the effectiveness of communication. Notably, the environmental protection education program was introduced in schools in the 2000-2001 school year, the Ecoboat ecological education model was successfully implemented as an extracurricular activity on Ha Long Bay since 2005, and a set of educational materials for environmental protection in Ha Long Bay was developed, along with the "Tourism Civility" and "Ha Long Smile" codes of conduct.

In addition, socio-economic activities on Ha Long Bay are closely managed. The inter-agency coordination mechanism for managing, monitoring, and supervising activities on the bay has been strengthened. Infrastructure at tourist spots and overnight accommodation areas on Ha Long Bay has been renovated, restored, and upgraded according to the Conservation and Development Plan for Ha Long Bay’s heritage values.

Furthermore,  Ha Long Bay Management Department has increased international cooperation in training and capacity building with UNESCO’s Hanoi Office, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Vietnam, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in heritage and environmental protection training programs.

Promoting the Heritage Value of Ha Long Bay

In the local socio-economic development strategy, resolving the harmonious relationship between protection, conservation, and promoting the heritage value in accordance with the World Heritage Convention and adhering to the laws of Vietnam is always an important task. Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage site, has increasingly become an attractive destination, drawing both domestic and international tourists, opening up great prospects for the socio-economic development of Quang Ninh province.

According to Mr. Vu Kien Cuong, in order to improve the management, conservation, and promotion of the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay, it is necessary to seriously and consistently implement the commitments to heritage conservation in line with international conventions and strictly adhere to the legal regulations on heritage management. The organization, functions, and tasks of heritage management agencies should be streamlined, and a close collaboration among relevant agencies and units, as well as between Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City, should be strengthened in managing and protecting the world heritage.

Quang Ninh will complete the Ha Long Bay Scenic Conservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Master Plan for the period 2025-2035, with a vision toward 2050; develop the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago Heritage Management Plan for 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045; and a Sustainable Tourism Development Plan for Ha Long Bay for 2025-2035, with a vision to 2050.

At the same time, the province will strengthen the monitoring and inspection of the enforcement of legal regulations on waste management, wastewater, and environmental protection in Ha Long Bay, as well as promoting public awareness on environmental protection. The development of diverse, unique, and competitive new tourism products will be studied, such as beach development and short-time performances at caves. Expanding the tourism space and connecting Ha Long Bay with neighboring areas to regulate visitor numbers to Ha Long Bay will also be prioritized.

Currently, Ha Long Bay offers 8 sightseeing and tourism routes and 5 clusters of overnight accommodation points. Tourism products and services on the Bay include: cave exploration, sightseeing, overnight accommodation, entertainment, beach activities, kayaking, and rowing boats.

There are 502 registered tourist boats operating on the Bay, including 323 sightseeing boats, 177 overnight boats, 4 restaurant boats, and 7 exploration cruise ships. Additionally, there are 590 kayaks, 100 rowing boats, 31 speedboats, and 134 tenders transporting tourists.

From 1996 until the end of September 2024, Ha Long Bay has welcomed over 56.3 million visitors (30.5 million international tourists), generating nearly 8.6 trillion VND in entrance fees.

Translated by Thuý Hà