Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng (Vietnamese: Vườn quốc gia Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng) is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa Commune of central Quảng Trị Province in Vietnam’s North Central Coast region. It is about 500 kilometers south of Hanoi. The park is bordered by Hin Namno National Park in Khammouane Province, Laos, to the west and is 42 kilometers east of the East Sea from its border point. Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is part of a limestone area covering 2,000 kilometers in Vietnam and borders another limestone area of the same size in Laos. The main area of the park covers 857.54 square kilometers, and the surrounding area covers 1,954 square kilometers.

The park was created to protect one of the world’s two largest karst regions, which includes 300 caves and grottoes. It also protects the limestone forest ecosystem of the Annamite Range in Vietnam’s North Central Coast region.

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng is known for its extensive cave and grotto systems, which include 300 caves and grottoes. A 2009 survey found the total length of the cave system to be about 126 kilometers, with many areas still unexplored. Sơn Đoòng Cave, discovered by British and Vietnamese explorers in 2009, is considered the largest cave in the world. Before this discovery, Phong Nha already held several world cave records, such as the longest river and the largest combined caverns and passageways.

The park is named after Phong Nha Cave, which has many rock formations, and Kẻ Bàng forest. The plateau where the park is located is one of the most unique examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia. The national park was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 2003 for its geological importance, as defined by its criteria. In April 2009, the world’s largest cave was rediscovered by a team of British cave explorers from the British Caving Association, led by a local farmer named Ho Khanh.

History of exploration

Champa inscriptions carved on stone slabs and Buddhist altars in the cave from the 9th century show that people lived in the cave long before the area was taken over by Vietnam during the Nam tiến or southward expansion. The cave was first written about in 1550 in the works of Dương Văn An. This cave was shown in 9 urns at the Citadel of the Nguyễn dynasty in Huế. In 1824, King Minh Mạng gave the cave the title "Diệu ứng chi thần" (妙應之神), meaning "Wondrous Response God." Later, Nguyen kings also gave it the title "Thần Hiển Linh" (神顯靈), meaning "Manifesting Spirit God."

In the late 19th century, Léopold Michel Cadière, a French Roman Catholic priest, explored Phong Nha cave and found Champa scripts there. He called Phong Nha cave "The number one cave of Indochina." In July 1924, an English explorer named Barton said Phong Nha cave is as famous as Padirac Cave in France and Cuevas del Drach in Spain. In 1935, a local person found a beautiful cave 1 km from the entrance of Phong Nha cave, at an elevation of 200 meters (660 ft). This cave was named Tien Son cave, or Dry cave, because its inside looks like a fairy tale and has no underground river.

In 1937, the Bureau of Tourism of French Resident Superior in Huế created a brochure to promote tourism in Quảng Bình, including Phong Nha Cave. This site was ranked second in French Indochina. Before 1990, many explorations were done by Vietnamese and foreign groups, but the area remained a mystery. From 1990 onward, exploration turned into research, allowing full documents to be prepared for UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage nomination.

In 1990, Hanoi University accepted a proposal from the British Cave Research Association to explore and study caves and grottoes in the area. The first exploration in 1990 was led by Howard Limbert, a member of the British Cave Research Association and the Faculty for Geology and Geography of Hanoi University. They studied a large part of Vom Cave. In 1992, a group of 12 British scientists and six professors from Hanoi University explored 7,729 meters of Phong Nha Cave and 13,690 meters of Vom Cave and nearby caves. In 1994, a group of 11 British scientists and five professors from Hanoi University conducted another exploration. In 1999, scientists from the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre studied plants and animals in the Kẻ Bàng area. These explorations provided information to the Vietnamese and local government for protecting and developing the park.

In 2005, scientists from the British Cave Research Association discovered a new cave and named it Paradise Cave (động Thiên Đường). They called it "the largest and most beautiful cave in the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng area."

On June 1, 2006, the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam released a stamp collection showing landscapes from Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng.

In April 2009, explorers from the British Caving Association surveyed the park and nearby areas. They found that the biggest chamber in Sơn Đoòng cave is more than 5 kilometers long, 200 meters high, and 150 meters wide. These measurements made Sơn Đoòng the largest cave in the world, surpassing Deer Cave in Malaysia. During this survey, explorers also found 20 new caves with a total length of 56 kilometers, including Sơn Đoòng.

Geography

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is located in the villages of Tan Trach, Thuong Trach, Phuc Trach, Xuan Trach, and Son Trach in Bố Trạch District, as well as a small part of Minh Hóa District in the center of Quảng Bình Province. It is about 40 kilometers northwest of Đồng Hới, the provincial capital. The park is bordered by the Hin Namno karst area in Khammouane Province, Laos, to the west. It is approximately 500 kilometers south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and 260 kilometers north of Đà Nẵng, a major port city. The geographical coordinates are 17°32′14″N 106°9′5″E.

The park is located about 30 kilometers west of the South China Sea and National Route 1, near the Hồ Chí Minh Highway, and 28 kilometers west of the Hanoi–Saigon Railway. It is accessible by road or waterway through an estuary in the South China Sea. A small airport, Khe Gat Airbase, is near the park and can be reached by helicopter or small aircraft. This airbase was used by the North Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War, especially during the Battle of Đồng Hới.

Before becoming a national park, the area was a nature reserve. The Phong Nha Nature Reserve, covering 50 square kilometers, was officially established by the Vietnamese government on August 9, 1986. It was expanded to 411.32 square kilometers by 1991. On December 12, 2001, the Vietnamese Prime Minister issued Decision 189/2001/QĐ-TTG, converting the nature reserve into a national park. The goal of this protected area is to preserve forest resources, biodiversity, and the scientific value of plant and animal life in the Bắc Trung Bộ region, especially rare species native to the area. The park covers a total area of 857.54 square kilometers, divided into three zones: a "strictly protected zone" (648.94 square kilometers), an "ecological recovery zone" (174.49 square kilometers), and an "administrative service zone" (34.11 square kilometers).

The climate in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is tropical, with hot and humid conditions. The average annual temperature is 23–25°C (73–77°F), with summer temperatures reaching up to 41°C (106°F) and winter temperatures dropping to 6°C (43°F). The hottest months are June to August, with an average temperature of 28°C (82°F), and the coldest months are December to February, with an average temperature of 18°C (64°F). Annual rainfall is about 2,000 to 2,500 mm (79 to 98 inches), with 88% of the rain falling during the monsoon season from July to December. There are more than 160 rainy days each year, and some rain occurs even during the dry season. The average annual relative humidity is 84%.

Geology

The Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng karst has existed since the Paleozoic era, about 400 million years ago, making it the oldest major karst area in Asia. It has experienced large changes in the Earth's crust and contains many different types of rocks layered in complex ways. Seven major levels of karst development have occurred due to movements in the Earth's crust and changes in sea levels. This has created a very complex landscape with high geodiversity and many important landforms. Evidence suggests that processes involving sulfur and hot water have helped shape the area, though these effects are not yet fully understood. The area has gone through five stages of Earth's crust development:

• Late Ordovician to Early Silurian period (about 450 million years ago)
• Middle to late Devonian period (about 340 million years ago)
• Carboniferous to Permian period (about 300 million years ago)
• Mesozoic Orogenic period
• Cenozoic period.

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is one of the two largest limestone regions in the world. Compared to 41 other UNESCO World Heritage sites with karst features, Phong Nha has unique landforms, rocks, and plant life. The karst landscape of Phong Nha dates back to the Paleozoic era, 400 million years ago, making it the oldest major karst in Asia. If combined with the nearby Hin Namno area in Laos, the total protected area would be the largest remaining karst forest in Southeast Asia, covering 317,754 hectares.

The Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng area has two types of landforms: non-karstic and karstic. Non-karstic landforms include:
– Dome-shaped mountains formed from volcanic rock,
– Mountain ranges made from rocks from the Cretaceous period,
– Lower mountain ranges made from other types of rock.

Karstic landforms are typical of tropical regions and include:
– Surface features like cone-shaped hills, towers, valleys, and depressions,
– Underground features such as caves.

Compared to other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Southeast Asia, such as Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysia, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines, and Lorentz National Park in Indonesia, Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng has older karst formations, more complex geology, and more diverse underground rivers.

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng has over 20 mountain peaks taller than 1,000 meters. Notable peaks include Co Rilata (1,128 meters) and Co Preu (1,213 meters). Karstic mountains in the park are typically over 800 meters tall and form a continuous range along the border with Laos. Other notable peaks include Phu Tạo (1,174 meters), Co Unet (1,150 meters), and Phu Canh (1,095 meters). Additional peaks between 800 and 1,000 meters include Phu Sinh (965 meters), Phu Co Tri (949 meters), and Phu On Boi (933 meters).

Non-karstic areas cover a small part of the park and are found mainly in the northern, northeastern, and southeastern parts. These areas have peaks ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters with steep slopes. Narrow valleys are found along streams such as the Am, Cha Lo, and Chua Ngút creeks, and along the Rao Thuong River in the southernmost part of the park. Notable peaks in the non-karstic area include Phu Toc Vu (1,000 meters), Mã Tác (1,068 meters), and Co Preu (1,213 meters), which is the highest peak in the park.

In addition to caves, Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng has the longest underground river in the world. The Son and Chay Rivers are the main rivers in the park, and many caves were formed by these rivers. The Son River flows into the Phong Nha Cave and continues underground as the Nam Aki River, emerging 20 kilometers south of Pu-Pha-Dam Mountain. The area also has many water features, including Gió Waterfall, Madame Loan Waterfall, Mọc Stream, and Trạ Ang Stream.

Cave and grottos

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is home to the largest cave in the world and includes 300 different grottoes and caves. Before the discovery of Sơn Đoòng Cave, Phong Nha Cave was considered the best cave in the world by the British Caving Association. It held four top records: the longest underground river, the tallest and longest cave, the widest and most beautiful sand beaches inside caves, and the most impressive stalagmites and stalactites. In April 2009, British cave explorers found 20 new caves, totaling 56 kilometers, including the world’s largest cave, Sơn Đoòng. According to UNESCO, the karst formation in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park has been developing since the Palaeozoic era (about 400 million years ago) and is the oldest major karst area in Asia. It also contains important evidence of Earth’s history, helping scientists understand the region’s geological and landscape development.

The name Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng comes from two parts: Phong Nha (cave) and Kẻ Bàng (limestone forest). The name Phong Nha may be linked to the Hán Nôm characters 风 牙, meaning "wind-tooth," which describes how wind flows from the cave and how stalactites and stalagmites look like teeth. Another possibility is that Phong Nha was the name of a nearby village. A third idea suggests the name comes from the shape of mountains in the area, which resemble mandarins (officials) standing in line in front of a king. In this case, "Phong" means "summit," and "Nha" means "mandarin." Other names for Phong Nha Cave include Thầy Tiên Cave, Thầy Mount, and Troóc Cave.

This cave is famous for its rock formations, which have names like "Lion," "Fairy Caves," "Royal Court," and "Buddha." It is 7,729 meters long, has 14 grottos, and contains an underground river that is 13,969 meters long. Scientists have explored 44.5 kilometers of grottos in this cave, but tourists can only walk about 1,500 meters inside.

Phong Nha Cave, like many other caves in the area, was shaped by the Chay River. As visitors move deeper into the cave, the stalactites and stalagmites appear more magical when light shines on them. The Son River flows into the cave’s entrance and continues underground, where it is called the Nam Aki River. It later flows out near Pu Pha Dam Mountain, 20 kilometers south. The main Phong Nha Cave includes 14 chambers connected by an underwater river that is 1.5 kilometers long. Secondary corridors branch in all directions. The Outer Cave and some Inner Caves have ceilings that rise 25 to 40 meters above the water level. From the 14th chamber, other corridors may lead to large chambers, but these areas are dangerous for explorers because of ongoing limestone erosion. The Shallow Cave is 800 meters from the entrance and has a striking landscape of sand and rock. Stalactites and stalagmites jut out like strange trees, sparking visitors’ imaginations.

Notable caves and grottoes in the Phong Nha system include:

• Dark Grotto (Hang Tối): Located upstream of the Son River near the Chay River, this grotto is 5,258 meters long and 83 meters high. It has a wide entrance surrounded by heavy forest.
• E Grotto (Hang E): A 736-meter-long grotto accessible via the Hồ Chí Minh trail.
• Cha An Grotto (Hang Chà An): A 667-meter-long grotto with a width of 15 meters.
• Thung Grotto (Hang Thung): This grotto has an underground river 3,351 meters long and some areas over 133 meters high. It receives water from the Rao Thuong.
• En Grotto (Hang Én): A 1,645-meter-long grotto 78.6 meters high.
• Khe Tien Grotto (Hang Khe Tiên): Located south of Phong Nha, this grotto is 520 meters long.
• Khe Ry Grotto (Hang Khe Ry): Located south of Phong Nha, this grotto is where the Khe Ry stream (13.817 kilometers long) flows out.
• Khe Thi Grotto (Hang Khe Thi): A stream from a mountain flows underground through this grotto.
• Vom Grotto (Hang Vòm): A 15.05-kilometer-long grotto 145 meters high, with several underground rivers and pools. It has large stalagmites and stalactites. British explorers discovered a deep hole called Tang Hole, over 255 meters deep, making it the deepest hole in Vietnam.
• Dai Cao Grotto (Hang Đai Cao): Connected to Vom Grotto, this grotto is 1,645 meters long and 28 meters high.
• Duot Grotto (Hang Duột): Connected to Dai Cao Grotto, this grotto is 3.927 kilometers long and 45 meters high. It has fine sand fields inside.
• Ca Grotto (Hang Cá): A 1,500-meter-long grotto 62 meters high.
• Ho Grotto (Hang Hổ): Connected to Ca Grotto, this grotto is 1,616 meters long and 46 meters high.
• Over Grotto (Hang Over): A 3,244-meter-long grotto 103 meters high, with a width of 150 meters.
• Paradise Cave (Thiên Đường): A 15.05-kilometer-long grotto 145 meters high, with more impressive limestone formations than Phong Nha Cave. It was named "Paradise Cave" by British explorers due to its beauty. A 1.1-kilometer path was built for tourists, and it opened on September 3, 2010.

**Sơn Đoòng Cave (Hang Sơn Đo

Biodiversity in the park

The park is part of the Annamites eco-region. The largest type of vegetation is tropical dense moist evergreen forest on limestone under 800 meters above sea level. Ninety-six point two percent (96.2%) of the national park is covered with forest, and 92.2% of that is intact primary forest. Seventy-four point seven percent (74.7%) of the park, or 1,104.76 square kilometers, is covered with evergreen tropical wet forest on limestone rocks at elevations under 800 meters. Eight point five percent (8.5%), or 126 square kilometers, is evergreen tropical wet forest on limestone rocks at elevations above 800 meters. Eight point three percent (8.3%), or 122.2 square kilometers, is evergreen tropical wet forest on soil mounts at elevations under 800 meters. Zero point seven percent (0.7%), or 10.7 square kilometers, is evergreen tropical wet forest on limestone rocks at elevations above 800 meters. One point one percent is impacted evergreen tropical wet forest on limestone rocks. Two point eight percent (2.8%), or 42.12 square kilometers, is impacted evergreen tropical wet forest on soil mounts. One point three percent (1.3%) is grass and bush on limestone rocks. Two percent (2%) is grass and bush on soil mounts. One point eight square kilometers is permanent wetland forest. One point five square kilometers is rattan and bamboo forest. Five point two one square kilometers (0.3%) is agricultural plants.

Initial surveys show that the primary tropical forest in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng has 140 plant families, 427 genera, and 751 species of vascular plants. Of these, 36 species are endangered and listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book.

The most common tree species in the park include Hopea sp., Sumbaviopsis albicans, Garcinia fragraeoides, Burretionendron hsienmu, Chukrasia tabularis, Photinia aroboreum, and Dysospyros saletti. Seedlings grow only in holes and cracks on limestone where soil has collected, so forest regrowth after disturbances is slow. The forest is dominated by evergreen tree species, with some scattered deciduous trees like Dipterocarpus kerri, Anogeissus acuminate, Pometia pinnata, and Lagerstroemia calyculata. The most common plant families are Lauraceae, Fagaceae, Theaceae, and Rosaceae, with some scattered gymnosperms like Podocarpus imbricatus, Podocarpus neriifolius, and Nageia fleuryi.

A 50-kilometer forest of Calocedrus macrolepis (also called Calocedrus rupestris) grows on limestone mounts in the park, with about 2,500 trees and 60,000 trees per square kilometer. This is the largest forest of this tree species in Vietnam. Most trees are 500–600 years old. These trees are listed in group 2A (rare, precious, and limited exploitation) in an official letter dated June 21, 2002, which amends Decree 48 by the Vietnamese government. Scientists from Hanoi National University and the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park Research Center discovered 1,320 additional species in the park, including some rare and valuable species. Biologists found three rare orchid species: Paphiopedilum malipoense, Paphiopedilum dianthum, and Paphiopedilum concolor. In 1996, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified these orchids as endangered.

The park is home to 98 families, 256 genera, and 381 species of vertebrates. Sixty-six species are listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book, and 23 species are listed in the World Red Book of Endangered Species. In 2005, a new species of gecko (Lygosoma boehmeiwas) was discovered by Vietnamese biologists, park scientists, German biologists from Cologne Zoo, and Russian biologists from the Saint Petersburg Wild Zoology Institute. The park is also home to the gaur, one species of eel, and ten new species previously unknown in Vietnam.

The park has significant populations of primates in Vietnam, including ten species and subspecies. These include the globally vulnerable pig-tailed macaque, Assam macaque, stump-tailed macaque, and white-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys and Nomascus leucogenys siki). It may be home to the largest population of François' langur in Vietnam, including two forms of the species. The area is important for its population of Hatinh langur and black langur, which are likely the largest in the world and the only ones in a protected area. Other endangered large mammals include the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), giant muntjac (Megamuntiacus vuquangensis), and possibly the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis). The Asian black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus) and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) are confirmed in the park. Other mammals include Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) and the recently discovered Annamite striped rabbit (Nesolagus timminsi), known locally as "thỏ van." Ten bat species listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species have been recorded in the park.

Of the 59 recorded reptile and amphibian species, 18 are listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book, and 6 are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Further research has increased the number of recorded amphibian species to 50 and reptile species to 101. The 72 fish species include 4 that are found only in this area, including Danio quangbinhensis. The park is

Historical significance

The oldest signs of people living in this area are Neolithic axe heads and similar tools found in some caves. Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng contains archaeological and historical items, such as a medieval Cham inscription on a rock slab and terracotta ex-voto sealings made by the Cham people in the 9th century to honor Avalokiteśvara. In 1995, the Archaeological Institute of Vietnam noted that Phong Nha Cave may be a very important archaeological site. This organization suggested that items found in Bi Ky grotto might have come from a Champa mosque built between the 9th and 11th centuries. Inside Phong Nha Cave, there are many Champa-style ceramic items, including earthware vases with pink, lotus-shaped openings.

In 1899, a French missionary named Léopold Cadière studied the customs and culture of people living along the Son River. In a letter to École française d'Extrême-Orient, he wrote, "What remains here is valuable for history. To keep it is to help science." In the early 20th century, cave explorers and researchers from France and the UK found many ancient Champa and Vietnamese relics, such as altars, steles, hieroglyphic writing, sculptures, stone statues, Buddha statues, and Chinese artifacts. In the late 19th century, King Hàm Nghi established a base for the Vietnamese resistance against French colonial forces.

Recognition by UNESCO

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park was first nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The Vietnamese government submitted documents to UNESCO to recognize Phong Nha Nature Reserve as a world natural heritage site under the name "Phong Nha Nature Reserve." The reason for the nomination was that the reserve met criteria related to biodiversity, unique beauty, and geodiversity (criteria I and IV).

In 1999, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) visited the area in January and February. At a meeting in July 1999, an evaluation group concluded that Phong Nha Nature Reserve could meet criteria I and IV if the reserve was expanded to include the larger Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng parkland and had a fully integrated management plan. The group noted that the site was part of an ancient and complex karst plateau with high geodiversity, including the Kẻ Bàng and Hin Namno karsts. The reserve is mostly covered in tropical forest and has many species found nowhere else. However, limited research made it hard to fully understand the area’s biodiversity and geology. The evaluation group decided that the nominated area alone did not meet World Heritage criteria and deferred the nomination.

In 2000, the Vietnamese government submitted a revised nomination with a larger area. At the same time, the government announced plans to build the north–south Hồ Chí Minh Highway and a connecting road that would cross part of the Phong Nha Nature Reserve. This raised concerns about the impact on the reserve. International organizations, such as IUCN and Flora and Fauna International, urged the Vietnamese government to reconsider the road plan, warning that it could harm biodiversity. Because of this, the evaluation group did not proceed with further consideration of the nomination. In May 2002, the Vietnamese government provided additional information, including maps and details about plans to expand and protect the park. The revised nomination had a smaller area than the 2000 submission.

In 2003, Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park was recognized as a world natural heritage site during UNESCO’s 27th general assembly session in Paris. Delegates from over 160 countries agreed to add Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng and 30 other sites to the World Heritage list. The park met criterion VIII because it shows strong evidence of Earth’s history and is important for understanding the region’s geology, landforms, and history.

The National Council for Cultural Heritage, part of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism), recommended that the park be nominated again for recognition based on biodiversity. In 2003, the park was listed for criterion VIII, which focuses on geological, landform, and geographical values. Experts believed that if Vietnam submitted documents to UNESCO on time and met the criteria, the park could be recognized again in 2008. Since 2003, the Vietnamese government has continued to collect scientific information to seek recognition for the park’s biodiversity, in addition to its geological values.

According to a 2000 report by the World Wildlife Foundation, Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is one of 200 global biodiversity centers and one of 60 important sanctuaries in Vietnam. It has a unique type of forest called green tropical forest and includes 15 other forest types.

At a 2007 meeting of the National Council for Cultural Heritage in Vietnam, scientists praised the park’s scientific documentation. They stated that the park has the highest level of biodiversity among all UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Tourist activities

The park can be reached by road via National Route 1 or Hồ Chí Minh Highway, which is 450 km south of Hanoi, 50 km north of Đồng Hới, and 210 km north of Huế. It is also accessible by rail at Đồng Hới Railway Station on the Hanoi–Saigon Railway line and by air at Đồng Hới Airport, located 45 km south of the park. A Tourism Service Center is available in Phong Nha township, Bố Trạch District, near Hồ Chí Minh Highway. Tourists must purchase entrance tickets for package services, which include the entrance fee and boat transportation. Additional fees may be required for ecotourism tours. Visitors are then transported by boat along the Sơn River to the Phong Nha and Paradise caves. The number of visitors has grown significantly since the park was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Quảng Bình Province has invested in improving the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng visitor site to make it one of Vietnam's major tourist destinations.

Many ecotourism projects have been approved for development, and the area is being expanded to become a major tourist site in Vietnam. Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng is part of a tourism campaign called the "Middle World Heritage Road," which includes the ancient city of Huế, the Champa ruins of Mỹ Sơn, the city of Hội An, Nhã nhạc, and the gong culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Tourist activities in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park are organized by local travel agencies and include:
• Cave and grotto expeditions using boats and professional equipment.
• Ecotourism trips to explore the plants and animals in the Kẻ Bàng Forest.
• Mountain climbing and trekking, which involve steep slopes over 1,000 meters in height.

Đồng Hới is the nearest city to Phong Nha. To support the growing number of visitors, Đồng Hới Airport was built and opened in May 2008. It connects to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport and Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport starting in July 2009. Huế is another common starting point for day tours.

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng, along with Hạ Long Bay and Fanxipan, was nominated as a candidate for the seven new world natural wonders vote. On February 12, 2008, it ranked 10th in the voting list. In January 2009, the Los Angeles Times listed Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park as one of 29 recommended destinations to visit in 2009.

In October 2014, Quảng Bình Province announced plans by Sun Group to build a cable car system connecting caves in the park. However, conservationists strongly opposed the plan, and the government delayed it, stating it was not yet approved. Supporters argue the park needs better ways to manage increasing visitors and that the cable car would be environmentally friendly. Opponents believe the cable car could harm the caves and lead to too many visitors for the area to handle.

Management issues

The Park Management Board has 115 members, including zoologists, botanists, forestry experts, and economists. Some people believe the staff does not have enough power to punish those who break rules, and they lack tools like helicopters and enough money to handle dangers to the park from nature or humans.

A protected area of 0.18 square kilometers, surrounded by an electric fence, was created in the park to help primate species live safely. This project was supported by the Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt (Germany) to protect 10 types of primates, such as the Hatinh langur and the red-shanked douc. This area is suitable for primate habitats.

Two villages of the Arem and Ma Coong ethnic groups are located in the core area of Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park. In the buffer zone, there are 52,000 people, mostly Kinh people and other minority groups like the Chut and Van Kieu. Many of them rely on forest resources for their livelihoods. Increased visitors to the park cause problems, such as water pollution, trash, and damage to caves and grottos, which threaten biodiversity. Hunting is a major threat to wildlife because local people demand wild meat, leading to a decline in species like wild pigs, binturongs, and primates. Some civil servants and police officers own restaurants that serve wild meat hunted in the park. The park is not currently effective in protecting tigers, Asian elephants, or wild bulls.

Rare eels, such as Anguilla marmorata and Anguilla bicolor, are caught and eaten in large numbers by local people. These eels are considered a special dish in restaurants because some believe they have health benefits similar to "natural Viagra."

Overharvesting of rare woods, such as go mun (Diospyros spp.) and go huế (Dalbergia rimosa), and oils from trees like Cinnamomum balansea and rattan has led to the decline of these plants in many parts of the park. Human activities also disturb bat populations in caves and grottos. The Hồ Chí Minh Highway and Road 20, which cross the edge and core zones of the park, harm wildlife, especially Hatinh langurs and black langurs. During road construction, explosions and other activities forced some primates to leave their usual habitats.

Poor management by local officials has caused large areas of forest in the buffer zone to be cleared, some completely. Limestone in the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng area is mined for commercial use, but local authorities have not taken steps to stop this.

The provincial government approved a 3600MW coal-fired power plant in Vĩnh Sơn village, 40 km northeast of the park. This project has raised concerns among environmentalists because it may cause air and water pollution for the park. Wildfires during the dry season are a recurring threat to the forest.

Land and commercial activities near the park are managed in an unorganized way by provincial authorities. Land has been sold to local investors and residents for building services, leading to the creation of a slum near the park entrance. Some investors do not develop their land but hold it for future sales. A 2 km area near the park was criticized for poor planning. The Quảng Bình provincial government plans to hire international planners to create better tourism development plans for nearby areas.

On November 3, 2005, the German government provided 12.6 million euros to the park’s management board to protect biodiversity. In 2007, Germany gave an additional 1.8 million euros to Vietnam for park protection.

Fauna and Flora International donated $132,000 to the park’s management board for primate protection in the park and buffer zone. In 1998, FFI trained park staff. The British Commission for International Development funded the WWF to protect biodiversity in the park and the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in Laos. FFI received funding from the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to raise awareness about biodiversity protection among tourists and locals.