Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park gets 2nd UNESCO recognition as world heritage

July 06, 2015 | 10:25

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Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which boasts the world's largest cave Son Doong, was recognized as a world heritage site for the second time by the UNESCO on Friday, the park’s management board said.

The second recognition, which was passed at the 39th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany the same day, is based on the park's stunning biological diversity and resplendent landscape, according to the board.

The park, located in the central province of Quang Binh, was first inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003 for its astounding geological and geomorphologic values. At that time, it covered 85,754 hectares, the committee said.

Now with the second recognition, the park’s area covers a total surface area of 126,236 hectares (a 46 percent increase) and shares a boundary with the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos, according to the committee.

“It features great geological diversity and offers spectacular phenomena, including a large number of caves and underground rivers,” the committee said, adding that the site is home to many endemic species and boasts a high level of biodiversity.

The second recognition has resulted from unceasing efforts of concerned agencies and local people in preserving the park’s great values since the park was first inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2003, said Nguyen Huu Hoai, chairman of the Quang Binh Province People’s Committee.

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