UNESCO delegation visits Tam Chuc Scenic Landscape Complex

The delegation was led by Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam, and included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as leaders and experts from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the UNESCO Office in Hanoi and other relevant offices.

The delegation was welcomed by Bui Van Manh, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Tourism, along with representatives of Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise.

During the visit, more than 80 delegates explored Luc Nhac Lake, Tam Chuc Communal House, the Kinh Pillars Garden, Phap Chu Palace, Quan The Am Palace and Tam The Palace, as well as the site's natural landscapes and rich biodiversity.

The Tam Chuc area covers approximately 5,000 hectares and features limestone mountains, forests, valleys and wetlands, including a large natural lake. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife that has inhabited the region for generations. Among the most notable species is the Delacour's langur, a critically endangered primate listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book.

The UNESCO delegation's visit was part of a programme promoting sustainable tourism linked to livelihoods and heritage conservation in Trang An, as well as a field trip in Ninh Binh province held on the sidelines of the Asia Dialogue Conference organised by the Department of Tourism.

The visit provided an opportunity for the UNESCO delegation to learn more about and assess the outstanding values of the Tam Chuc area, particularly the interconnection between cultural heritage, natural landscapes and biodiversity. It also sought to promote the site's values to domestic and international communities.

The programme also introduced the proposed direction for preparing the nomination dossier for the World Heritage Site titled “Van Long Kim Bang Tam Chuc Cultural-Ecological Landscape of the Delacour's Langur.” The visit provided a platform for consultation and professional exchanges with experts and scientists, while contributing to stronger coordination among Ninh Binh province, the VietnamNational Commission for UNESCO, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Office in Vietnam./.