Van Long Nature Reserve focuses on biodiversity conservation in combination with tourism development

Unlike Tam Coc or Trang An, the Van Long Nature Reserve is featured with a pristine and tranquil beauty. The unique beauty and rich ecosystem of flora and fauna have turned it into a favourite destination for travelers, especially foreign visitors.  

Staying away from the bustling life in cities, mixing with the nature, and watching a rich flora and fauna ecosystem are unforgettable experiences of tourists when visiting Van Long. These experiences were attributed to the efforts of local residents in protecting ecosystem and the environment in Van Long.

Nguyen Van Thoa, a resident in Vuon Thi hamlet, Gia Hoa commune, Gia Vien district, said: "We have been living here for a long time, we have known well the habitat of animals living in Van Long, but we have never hunted them. We feel proud and have a sense of responsibility for protecting them, as we know that protecting the environment for wild animals is to protect the environment for human being".

Nguyen Thanh Tam, Vice Chairman of the Gia Van commune People's Committee, said in the past years, the locality has paid heed to protecting the environment and pristine nature of Van Long via measures such as cooperating with the Van Long management board and tourism cooperatives to call on local people to protect the environment and to not damage biodiversity. As a result, there are no cases of cutting down trees or hunting wild animals illegally.

The Van Long Nature Reserve covers a total area of 2,700 hectares, spanning over seven communes of Gia Vien district. It boasts rich biodiversity resources and a attractive landscape with limestone mountains, rivers and caves.

According to the latest survey in 2020, Van Long is home to 722 species of flora, 15 of which are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam. It has 39 species of animals; 100 species of birds, 38 species of reptiles, 43 species of fish and 132 species of insects.

In particular, Van Long is home to a large population of Delacour's langurs.

Van Long holds two national natural records - the nature reserve with the biggest group of Delacour's langurs, a critically endangered species at home and abroad, and the area with the "largest picture of nature". These are great potential and advantages for Van Long to develop tourism in combination with ecosystem preservation.

Mai Van Quyen, Director of Hoa Lu-Van Long special forest management board, said in a bid to protect biodiversity sustainably, the unit has regularly urged local residents to protect forest, biodiversity and wild animals and closely coordinated with local authorities to carry out forest patrols in an attempt to protect wild animals.

Thanks to the cooperation of local authorities and people, the biodiversity preservation has been carried out effectively, thereby wild animals live safely in the nature. In 2000, there were only 40 Delacour's langurs living in the nature, to date, the number has risen to over 200, and they live in separate groups.

The reality shows that preserving the nature landscape will bring about dual results: protecting the environment and becoming an important resource to develop tourism and services.

Gia Vien has implemented numerous measures to fully exploit biodiversity in a bid to develop tourism in a green and sustainable way, thus fulfilling the task of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy