Nomination of Cat Tien National Park for World Heritage Listing

(ĐN)- In particular with regard to the submission of the inventory of Cat Tien National Park to register on the UNESCO cultural and natural heritage list, a first conference was held on May 16 in Dong Nai province. Present at the conference were officers and experts of various organizations including Institute of Archaeology under the Institute of Social Sciences for the South Region, Department of Culture and Information and Preservation and Museums Division from Dong Nai, Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc provinces.

Cat Tien National Park comprises 74,219 ha. in total and straddles 3 provinces: Dong Nai, Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc. It consists of the South Cat Tien, North Cat Tien parks and Cat Loc Park. In 1978, the South Cat Tien and North Cat Tien parks were put under the State’s protection. In 1992, the Cat Loc Park was listed in the programme for the protection of natural wild animals and flora. In December 1998, these three parks joined together to become the Cat Tien National Park, under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. When the elusive Javan rhinoceros was caught on camera in 1999 in Cat Tien National Park, it captured the world’s attention. Cat Tien National Park, the largest tropical forest in

Vietnam

, is sheltering a wide range of birds as well as rare wild bulls and one-horn rhinoes, and is located in a place of breath-taking beauty. South Cat Tien park has been recognized as the World Biosphere Reserve by the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). After recent excavations, the Institute of Social Sciences for the Southeastern Region has discovered many ancient remains, including an idol of Linga-Yoni, which is the largest in Southeast Asia. This archeological site has been recognized as a national relic site and is being proposed to be a world cultural heritage site. This is an importance work to ensure the protection and conservation for future generations of cultural and natural heritage of Cat Tien National Park.

Minh Chanh