Na Hang – Lam Binh Nature Reserve in the northern province of Tuyen Quang was honoured with a certificate to recognize it as a national tourist site at a ceremony in Na Hang district on October 14.

The 61,300-ha nature reserve, about 270 km northwest of Hanoi, stretches across 14 communes and townships of Na Hang and Lam Binh district. It lies amid a remote jungle along the banks of Gam River and Nang River.

The reserve is renowned for magnificent caves and a diverse ecosystem with many endangered flora and fauna species. Most notably is Tokin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus), a species listed by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the Critically Endangered Species as endemic to northern Vietnam.

Besides the value of biodiversity, it is home to various tourist attractions, including Thuong Lam area with 99 legendary mountains compared with “Ha Long Bay on land amidst mountains and forests”, Na Chao and Pac Khoang caves, and waterfalls of Pac Ban, Pac Hau and Khuoi Nhi. Archaeologists have discovered here several ancient Vietnamese burial relics dated over 10,000 years ago.

This place is also a concentration of different cultural nuances of highland ethnic minority groups, such as Tay, Dao and H’mong.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dang Thi Bich Lien highly spoke of the nature reserve’s values and urged the local administration and people to advance efforts to protect it and to promote it as a magnet for tourists.

She also asked Tuyen Quang to closely coordinate with Bac Kan province and relevant ministries and State agencies to soon complete the application for Ba Be – Na Hang Natural Heritage Area to be recognised as the world’s heritage site.

At the same time, the province must conserve and restore local craft villages and create new unique tourism products to attract both domestic and foreign visitors, she added.

Na Hang district also took the occasion to hold Na Hang mountainous tourism and culture festival and an art festival on October 13 – 14. –VNA