The U Minh Thuong National Park in the southern province of Kien Giang has been given "heritage" recognition.

The U Minh Thuong National Park.

Now an ASEAN Heritage Park, it was the first on peat land to be recognised, said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen.

The 30,000ha park, founded in 2002, is surrounded by a 60km dyke and formed a base in the resistance war WHAT RESISTANCE WAR.

A move is now under way to have it recognised as a Ramsar site. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (especially as waterfowl habitat), is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands.

It has met five out of nine norms of the Ramsar Convention.

Other Ramsar sites are the Son Thuy and Bau Sau sites in the Cat Tien National Park and the Ba Be, Tram Chim and Mui Ca Mau national parks.