Cuc Phuong strives to become model national park

Cuc Phuong is the first national park of Vietnam. It was established under the Prime Minister's Decision No. 72-QD/TTg dated July 7, 1962.  It covers a total area of 22,400 hectares, stretching over four districts of  Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Hoa Binh provinces. There are over 90,000 people, mainly Muong ethnic minority people, living in the buffer zone of Cuc Phuong. Many of them rely on on forest, therefore, it is hard for Cuc Phuong's management board to manage and protect forest.

Under the optimal goal of protecting forest, cadres and staff members of the Cuc Phuong National Park have carried out two basic measures: First, putting people at the centre of the forest protection cause. Stepping up communication and education of nature protection for local people in combined with providing livelihoods for them. Second, increasing forest patrols and setting up groups of local people to protect the forest.

These measures have helped Cuc Phuong to put an end of destroying forest land for farming and reducing timber logging and forest fires.

Cuc Phuong also established a group of well-experienced scientists to conduct scientific researches in a bid to serve the natural conservation work.

It has also worked with international scientists and organistions such as FAO, UNDP, WWF, FFI, Leipizg Zoo(Germany), Illinoise University (the US), Newquay Zoo, Waterloo Foundation (the UK) and Save Vietnam's Wildlife to implement numerous programmes on conserving rare wild animals.

Namely, the park coordinated with theFrankfurt Zoological Society to carry out a project on the conservation of rare primate animals in Vietnam. It has also implemented other programmes to conserve carnivores, pangolins, turtles and other animals and birds.

To date, Cuc Phuong has become a leading national park in implementing scientific researches to protect rare animals of Vietnam.

In addition, Cuc Phuong has also organised ecological tourism and environment education activities. This type of tourism has not only brought about economic benefits but also improved public awareness of environmental protection.

Numerous tours to visit the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centers, or free tours named "Coming home", wildlife release and tree planting have been arranged by Cuc Phuong. These activities have helped spread the message of natural conservation among the public. 

Currently, Cuc Phuong welcomes up to 130,000 visitors each year, a quarter of them are international guests.

In the four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022, Cuc Phuong has been honoured as Asia's leading national park by the World Travel Awards (WTA).

Cuc Phuong has also paid more heed to constructing infrastructure. Asphalted roads, hotels, restaurants, a museum, botanical gardens, animal conservation centers and entertainment areas have been built in a bid to meet tourists' demand.

Based on its potential of biodiversity, natural landscapes, scientific research achievements, and cultural values of local residents, Cuc Phuong has been completing its tourism ecosystem with numerous meaningful programmes and interesting tourism products, thus gradually turning it into a model national park in conserving the natural environment and developing tourism in parallel with  scientific research.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy