Vietnam and Laos celebrate first-ever shared transboundary World Natural Heritage Site
WVR - On July 13, during its 47th session held in Paris, France, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO approved the expansion of the world natural heritage site of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam’s Quang Tri province to include Hin Nam No National Park in Laos' Khammouane province.
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| Vietnam and Laos celebrate first-ever shared transboundary World Natural Heritage Site |
Following the adjustment, the world natural heritage site is officially named “Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park”.
In February 2024, the joint nomination dossier was submitted by the Governments of Vietnam and Laos to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for review by the World Heritage Committee during this session. .
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| Vietnam and Laos celebrate first-ever shared transboundary World Natural Heritage Site: Inside Hung Thong Cave, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Quang Tri province. (Photo: VNA) |
With this recognition, Vietnam now has a total of nine World Heritage sites, including two trans-provincial ones, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago (Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City), and the Complex of Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac monuments and landscapes (Quang Ninh Province, Bac Ninh Province and Hai Phong City) — and its first transboundary site: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Quang Tri Province, Vietnam) and Hin Nam No National Park (Khammouane Province, Laos).
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| Inside Khoun Xe Cave of Hin Nam No National Park of Laos . |
The inscription of Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No as a transboundary World Heritage site serves as a model for joint heritage management, enabling Vietnam to contribute practical experience to global heritage conservation under the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
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| Hin Nam No National Park in Laos is not only a haven of rare biodiversity but also a place that preserves the sacred bond between humans and nature. (Photo: WVR) |
Moreover, this recognition serves as a symbol of the cultural heritage cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, further strengthening the close, enduring friendship and solidarity between the two neighbouring countries.
