Ha Long Bay - 30 years and international titles
In 1994, Ha Long Bay was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage for its universal aesthetic value. Since then, Ha Long Bay has been honored in various prestigious international lists and rankings for its landscape, geological, geomorphological, cultural, historical and tourism values.
On December 17, 1994, Ha Long Bay was listed as a World Natural Heritage with outstanding universal aesthetic value by the World Heritage Committee at its 18th meeting session in Phuket, Thailand.
On December 2, 2000, Ha Long Bay was recognized as a world heritage site for the second time for its geological and geomorphological value by the World Heritage Council at the 24th conference of the World Heritage Council held in Cairns city, Queensland, Australia.
These two world-class titles have exerted significant influences on the appearance of Quang Ninh province. The image of Ha Long, the land and people of Quang Ninh have become well-known worldwide, the number of tourists increases every year, and the development of the tourism sector has been accelerated. The conservation and management of Ha Long Bay has received great support from central ministries, scientists, and international non-governmental organizations, especially in the fields of environmental protection, biodiversity, and scientific research. The public awareness of preserving the heritage has extensively changed.
In July 2003, Ha Long Bay was officially recognized as a member of the World's Most Beautiful Bays Club. It was one of 29 bays to be ranked and recognized by the club at the time.
On July 7, 2007, Ha Long Bay began its journey to seek the world title for the third time by participating in the vote for the 7 new natural wonders of the world. Ha Long Bay was officially recognized by New7wonders as one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world on November 11, 2011.
In addition to being twice recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and voted as a World Natural Wonder once, Ha Long Bay was also honored by organizations and tourists with a series of titles such as: One of the 33 most beautiful bays in the world (1997), one of the most attractive kayaking destinations in the world (2000), one of the most attractive destinations for family travel (2010), one of the most beautiful sunset viewing spots in Asia, one of the 10 most attractive autumn tourist destinations in Southeast Asia (October 2013), etc.
In 2021, Ha Long Bay was listed among the top 10 most beautiful bays in the world by the world-famous travel website Touropia. Accordingly, located in the North of Vietnam with a 120km-long coastline, Ha Long Bay, one of the most famous and attractive natural attractions in Vietnam, is fascinated by tourists for its clear blue sea water, limestone mountains, dense forests and many wildlife species, creating a breathtaking seascape. Famous landmarks associated with Ha Long Bay that leave a strong impression on tourists include Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Sung Sot Cave, Hon Trong Mai, etc.
In addition, travelers have the ideal chance to enjoy the amazing beauty of different islands, beautiful caves, watch the romantic sunset on Ha Long Bay and breathe the completely fresh morning air if they visit Ha Long and join overnight tours.
The number of titles honoring Ha Long Bay still continue to grow over time. Recently, CNN, a USA-based travel page, ranked Ha Long Bay as one of the 25 most beautiful destinations in the world in 2023. The prestigious international travel magazine Travel + Leisure also selected Ha Long Bay as one of the 55 most beautiful destinations in the world to admire in May, 2024.
