Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Located on the north side of Truong Son range in Quang Binh province, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park covers an area of 85,000 hectares. This park is recognized as one of the two largest limestone sites of the world, with a high bio-diversity and an array of different splendid grottoes and a primeval tropical forest covering more than 95% of the site's area.This is home to 38 endangered species listed in the Vietnam Red Book, 25 species in the World Conservation Union's Red List (IUCN) and 13 Vietnamese endemic species.The site is also the habitat of the three newly-discovered animals, which are Sao La (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), Giant Muntjac and Truong Son Muntjac (Muntiacus truongsonensis), in which Sao La and Giant Muntjac are of international significance.

In addition to the outstanding geological and geomorphologic values recognized by UNESCO, a recent report of the British Royal Grotto Association mission says that this site comprises more than 30 grottoes with the total length of over 100 km, in which Phong Nha - Ke Bang grotto alone deserves a place in the list of World Wonders with the seven "bests": the longest grotto, the widest and highest mouth, most beautiful underground lakes; widest and most wonderful dry caves; most splendid stalactite; longest underground river; widest and most amazing stone field and sand bank.

Apart from its natural values, this site also prides itself on invaluable cultural legacies, customs and unique features of tens of thousands of different ethnic minority inhabitants.

Among them are Ruc and Arem people who are surrounded by limestone mountains and live on hunting and collecting. The Sach people reside on lower land with a more advanced civilization. Ma Lieng people are also living on high mountains. These indigenous people still preserve and regularly practice their unique rites, such as the Worshiping Ceremony for Bumper Crop, the Ceremony for New Crop and the Ceremony of March's Full-Moon Day. Traditional forms of entertainment like Folklore singing and other customs such as wedding, proposal, worshiping and safety-and-peace-seeking ceremony remain popular in daily life here.