UNESCO adds Phong Nha–Ke Bang to transboundary heritage list

July 14, 2025 | 16:10

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Vietnam and Laos have jointly secured their first transboundary World Natural Heritage site, following UNESCO’s decision to expand the boundaries of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park to include Hin Nam No National Park in Laos.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, at its 47^th session held in Paris on July 13, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the boundary extension of Vietnam’s Phong Nha–Ke Bang World Natural Heritage site (former Quang Binh province) to incorporate the adjacent Hin Nam No National Park in Khammouane province, Laos. The unified site will be recognised under the name 'Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park'.

UNESCO adds Phong Nha–Ke Bang to transboundary heritage list

Phong Nha–Ke Bang was previously inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2003 and 2015, covering a core zone of 123,326 hectares and a buffer zone of 220,055ha, with a natural border adjoining Hin Nam No.

The extension nomination, submitted by both Vietnam and Laos in 2024, was evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and approved based on criteria related to geology, geomorphology, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

The area is considered one of the world’s most intact limestone karst landscapes, located at the convergence of the Annamite Range and the Central Indochina Limestone Belt. The karst system dates back 400 million years and includes more than 220km of caves, such as Son Doong and Xe Bang Fai, among the largest caves globally.

The region features a diverse ecosystem of dry karst forest, moist forest, and subterranean caves, with over 2,700 plant species and 800 vertebrate species recorded in Phong Nha-Ke Bang, and 1,500 plant species and 536 vertebrate species in Hin Nam No.

The two countries have long coordinated on transboundary conservation and enforcement efforts in the area.

Also at the session, UNESCO inscribed the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex in Vietnam on the World Heritage List, recognising its outstanding cultural and historical significance.