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| Nho Que River is looming among the mountains and forests of Ha Giang (Photo: Nam Thai/TTXVN) |
On the night of October 28, at Dong Van town (Dong Van district), Ha Giang province solemnly held a ceremony to receive UNESCO’s recognition of the Dong Van Karst Plateau as a global geopark for the third time and opened the 9th Buckwheat Flower Festival in 2023.
From a poor and little-known karst region, Dong Van Karst Plateau has prospered, developed, and become an attractive domestic and international tourist destination. The heritage and cultural sites are built up into typical, diverse, and unique tourist products and destinations such as Lung Cu Flagpole, the Vuong residence palace, Dong Van Ancient Town, Tu San Alley, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Mong Khen Festival, Khau Vai Market; Nam Dam Community-based Cultural Village; Pa Vi, Lo Lo Chai, Mong – Quan Ba Village Resort, Papiu-Bac Me, etc., and many other natural, special, and attractive specialties and agriproducts.
From just 2,000 tourist arrivals coming to Ha Giang in 2010, it rapidly climbed to 2.2 million arrivals in 2022, and the number of tourists coming here is expected to reach over 3 million arrivals in 2023.
Sustainable tourism has been creating sources of livelihood, helping to improve income, reducing poverty, and clearly changing the lives in the karst plateau.
Recently, at the beginning of September 2023, the UNESCO Global Geopark Network Council at the 10th International Conference held in Maroc highly appreciated and continued to recognize the title of UNESCO Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark for the third time.
Especially, on September 6, 2023, Ha Giang was honored to be awarded Asia’s Leading Emerging Tourist Destination by World Travel Awards, etc. These are the milestones marking the strong, right, and sustainable development of Ha Giang tourism.
The ceremony to receive the title of Dong Van Karst Plateau as a member of the global geoparks for the third time and the 9th Buckwheat Festival 2023 were held in a series of unique tourist and cultural events, attracting a great number of domestic and international tourists.
Attending the ceremony, the representatives got the chance to enjoy a special art program, vividly introducing the 500 million year history of geological development, the majestic natural landscapes, and the pure beauty of the buckwheat flowers, the quintessence of traditional culture.