Google honours the world heritage site of Ha Long Bay

The Vietnamese homepage of tech giant Google changed its Doodle on December 17, celebrating Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“On this day in 1994, Ha Long Bay was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” reads Google Doodle.

Ha Long Bay of Quang Ninh province was twice recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage in 1994 and 2000.

On September 16, 2023, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago (Hai Phong City) was recognized as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO. This is Vietnam’s first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site.

Located in the northeast of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay covers 1,550 square kilometers, with 1,969 islands. The UNESCO-recognized area is 434 square kilometers, forming a triangle with Dau Go Island to the west, Ba Ham Lake to the south, and Cong Tay Island to the east.

Ha Long Bay has received UNESCO accolades twice before. In 1994, it was designated a natural heritage site for its natural landscape, marking Vietnam's first recognition in this category. In 2020, it secured a second accolade for its geological and geomorphological value.