Dong Van Stone Plateau in the northern province of Ha Giang, Vietnam was on October 3 officially recognised as a new member of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN).

The Vietnam’s stone plateau was listed together with other 6 areas at the European Geoparks Conference held on Sunday in Lesvos, Greece. This is the first geopark recognised in Vietnam.

Lying about 150 km from the central town of Ha Giang and approximately 1,000 metres above the sea lever, Dong Van Stone Plateau Geopark covers some 574-sq.km spreading over four districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac, and Dong Van.

The plateau features karst stone (80%) in various sizes and shapes and with different characteristics. It is also home to around 250,000 people belonging to nearly 20 ethnic groups who are preserving their rich cultures that has lasted for hundreds of centuries.

Dong Van Stone Plateau has been surveyed by local and foreign specialists from Russia, Germany, Japan, Poland, and Belgium. Various evidence about the Earth’s evolution including fossils of thousands of species that lived some 400-600 million years ago, as well as valleys, rocks, caves, and more have been discovered here.

The GGN asked Vietnam to build a master plan to preserve cultural and geological heritage values of the Dong Van Stone Plateau at the same time boost sustainable economic development in this mountainous province.

Below are some latest photographs of the geopark:

Stone plateau

The Nho Que River runs through the stone mountains

Local people grow corn in some cultivable areas

Dong Van Town viewed from the moutain