Introduction
Located in Hai Phong City, northern Vietnam’s Cat Hai District is home to Cat Ba National Park. The Park is 45 km east of Hai Phong City, 150 km south-east of Ha Noi, and shares a northern boundary with Ha Long Bay. It is part of the Cat Ba Archipelago, a collection of about 366 islands. Since its establishment on March 31, 1986, the Park has expanded to encompass roughly 17,362.96 hectares, of which 10,912.51 ha are terrestrial habitats (islands) and 6,450.45 ha are marine ecosystems. Strict protection, ecological rehabilitation, and administrative services make up the three zones of this first-ever national park created in Vietnam.
Geomorphology Value
The most remarkable aspect of Cat Ba National Park’s geomorphology is its completely developed karst terrain, which was formerly developing on land but was eventually overrun by the sea and is still changing today. With fenglin (cone karst) and fencong (tower karst) features that have been isolated and divided from one another by firths and valleys, the Cat Ba Archipelago is a prime example of karst beauty. The region’s cave system is vast, varied, and intricate; more study is necessary to fully characterize and comprehend the cave systems. There are enough requirements for Cat Ba to be designated as a Geo-Park. The area has an extraordinarily stunning environment with enormous tourism potential thanks to the mix of and several small islands.
Human culture
Studies have verified that people have lived on Cat Ba Island for tens of thousands of years. Relics exist that illustrate significant turning points in the development of prehistoric human societies. When Cat Ba Island was still a part of the mainland, some 9,000–17,000 years ago, it was a perfect place for humans to settle.
Ecosystem
The Park’s wide range of ecosystems, landscapes, and seascapes set it apart from other national parks in Vietnam. It features a variety of distinct ecosystems, including sea grass beds, caverns, grottos, firths, valleys, coral reefs, and tropical rain forests on karst slopes.
Fauna and Flora
Initially, 1588 vascular plant species from 187 families were found; of them, 58 species are included in the Vietnam Red Book (2007), and 33 species are included in the IUCN The World List of Threatened Trees (2008). There are 1,026 species of medicinal plants, including Cycas tropophylla, a recently discovered species.
338 terrestrial animal species, including 53 mammal species, 205 bird species, 55 reptile species, and 25 amphibian species (of which 36 are recognized as rare and endemic in the Vietnam Red Book and the IUCN Red List), are found in Cat Ba National Park, according to the findings of preliminary research. The most well-known of these is the Cat Ba Langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), a species that is unique to Cat Ba and is among the top 25 most endangered monkeys in the world according to the IUCN.
Marine life
The sea inside the Park, which spans an area of more than 6,450 hectares, is rich in marine resources. 196 species of sea fish, 193 species of corals, 538 species of zoo benthos, 75 species of sea grass, 199 species of phytoplankton, 89 species of zooplankton, and 23 species of mangroves are among the more than 1,131 marine animal and plant species that have been identified by scientists. Other sea delights that are well-known in Cat Ba include blood ark, squid, lobster, crab, pearl shells, and snout otter clams.
