Xuan Thuy National Park, which plays a major role in preserving the ecological system and developing eco-tourism in the Red River Delta, was declared Vietnam’s first Ramsar site in 1989.

Sunset at Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh Province

Black-faced spoonbills hover at Xuan Thuy National Park

The recognition prompts tourists to visit the park to come close and explore the wild world and not many leave disappointed.

Located in Giao Thuy District, Nam Dinh Province, the park is over 7,100 hectares, of which 3,100 hectares is mangrove land and 4,000 hectares of mangrove forest.

The site is famous for diverse fauna species. To date, more than 200 bird species have been recorded at Xuan Thuy and it is the most important staging and wintering area for migratory water-birds in the coastal zone of the Red River Delta. It regularly supports large numbers of commoner migratory water-bird species, including black-tailed godwit, spotted-redshank, heron, egret and pelican.

It is also home to 110 aquatic plant species, 500 species of benthos and zooplankton with some aquatic species of high economic value, like shrimps, fish, crabs and oysters, are also found in the area. Fish, shrimps and crabs provide the main income of the local community.

Black-faced spoonbills hover at Xuan Thuy National Park - Photos: Official website of the park
As the park has a rich and biodiverse coastal wetland environment, tourists will have many choices to explore. First, watching birds is an ideal option, especially from August onwards. At sunset, when returning home, you can see them hovering in the sky and twittering like an orchestra performing a sonata. It is better if you ask for assistance from park staff, who know the site well and are able to guide you where to find a particular bird species, or a guide from the park.

Tourists can take the hiking routes or boating routes to sites of interest.

For hiking, travelers can walk through the natural and artificial habitats along the dike system in Con Ngan Island, where the park headquarters is located. Especially, at high tide, travelers can find numerous birds roosting in the shrimp ponds, including black-faced spoonbill, gulls, ducks and waders.

If boating at high tide visitors can see Con Xanh Island surrounded by casuarina forest to discover closely the wildlife.