Dong Van Stone Plateau in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang has been recognized as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN).
The news was announced last Saturday by the Vietnamese delegation attending the European Geoparks Conference in Lesvos, Greece.
The plateau has now become the first geological park in Vietnam and the second geological park in Southeast Asia after Langkawi Geological Park in Malaysia.
The GGN proposed Vietnam strategizes a master development plan to encourage people to preserve cultural and geological heritage values together with local sustainable development.
The park is expected to eliminate poverty through sustainable economic development in Ha Giang province.
The Dong Van Stone Plateau’s dossier was one of six approved at the conference.
Dong Van, which has remained untouched for hundreds of millions of years, has mammoth rocks spread over four districts – Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac, and Dong Van – and is 1,000m above sea level.
The plateau is made up of at least 80 percent limestone and has fossils of thousands of species of ancient creatures from 400-600 million years ago.
It is also home to several cultures that sprung up over the centuries. Currently 250,000 people belonging to 17 ethnic groups live on the 574-square-kilometer plateau.
