Ha Long Bay was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000. (Photo: VNA) Quang Ninh (VNA) – The northeastern province of Quang Ninh is strivingto promote green growth at its world natural heritage site Ha Long Bay,according to a local official.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Huy Hau recentlyassigned the provincial Department of Planning and Investment to draft a planto improve the quality of green growth projects in the bay for 2020-2025, aswell as expand existing efforts across the locality.
Among the projects mentioned is one being implemented by the JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA). The second-phase of the project hasbeen jointly carried out by the provincial People’s Committee and JICA fromNovember 2016 to present to promote green growth in the Ha Long Bay through theadoption of sustainable environment and tourism development policies.
The main targets of the second phase are strengthening the management of fundsand financial mechanisms; promoting incentives to support energy management andsaving; enhancing sustainable tourism in the area; improving environmentalmanagement capacity; and raising public awareness of green growth.
Local authorities and JICA representatives discussed measures to promote greengrowth in Quang Ninh during the next phase of the project such as improving theefficiency of environmental protection funds, and increasing the collection andtreatment of waste water.
Hau said Quang Ninh will set annual targets and direct relevant departments andsectors to help local authorities carry out the next phase of the project.
He asked JICA to provide financial support for organic agriculture in theprovince and pay more attention to environmental protection and management inHa Long Bay.
Ha LongBay literally “descending dragon bay” is a must-see destination in Quang Ninhprovince. It was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000.
The bay spans 1,553 square kilometres andincludes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It features thousands of limestonekarsts and islets in various shapes and sizes. The limestone in the bay hasgone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions andenvironments. The geo-diversity of the environment has created biodiversity,including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea biosystem.
Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floralspecies and 60 endemic faunal species.
In April 2019, US-based newspaper BusinessInsider made a list of 35 most beautiful natural wonders around the world, inwhich Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay claimed a place.
According to the news website, the beauty of HaLong Bay makes it one of Vietnam’s top tourist sites. It also recommends thattourists see the UNESCO-recognised site’s awe-inspiring limestone towers byboat.
Previously, Ha Long Bay was ranked 14th inBusiness Insider’s list of the 100 most beautiful UNESCO World Heritages in2018.
So far this year, Ha Long Bay hasgained a lot of global titled. In July, the bay was listed among the world’smost beautiful sunrise spots by the Microsoft Network (MSN).
In August, British travel magazine Rough Guidesincluded Ha Long Bay in its selection of the 100 most beautiful places tovisit next year.
In the Rough Guides to the 100 Best Places onEarth, the magazine describes “the scattering of limestone pinnacles juttingout of the smooth waters of Ha Long Bay”, around four hours east of Hanoi, asan “incredible sight”. The bay was the only Vietnamese destination in the list.
In September, Ha Long Bay was named as one ofthe most popular attractions in Asia, according to the South China Morning Post(SCMP) based in Hong Kong.
Around 5.2 million foreigners visited Ha LongBay in 2018, up 22 percent from a year ago, accounting for 30 percent of the15.6 million foreign tourist arrivals to Vietnam./.
VNA
