Vietnam seeks to add neighboring archipelago to UNESCO site Ha Long Bay

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on Monday instructed the two localities and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to send the proposal to UNESCO.

Cat Ba comprises of 367 islands and is home to an eponymous national park.

The archipelago itself has already been recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve.

Ha Long Bay was named a world heritage for a second time in 2020.

In 2013 Hai Phong City had nominated Cat Ba as a world heritage site, but UNESCO suggested that the archipelago should join with Ha Long Bay as a single heritage complex.

A few years later the International Union for Conservation of Nature gave the same advice.

Ha also instructed the ministry and other related agencies to carefully assess tourism and urban development on the archipelago to ensure its protection.

A screenshot from Google Maps shows Cat Ba Archipelago and Ha Long Bay.