Ha Long Bay: New7Wonders of Nature

Ha Long Bay: New7Wonders of Nature

Ha Long Bay has just been named as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. Thousands of people gathered at the My Dinh National Stadium to witness the significant event. Bernard Weber, president of the New7Wonders Foundation, personally addressed the ceremony. He declared the competition “lively and fair,” and a “success” for the 15 countries that now own the new seven wonders recognition. He stated his vision for the global contest, “to bring inspiration, to create motivation and participation on themes everyone could understand, themes that had real and lasting value.”
 
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan was also at the event for the formal declaration of ${attraction_Ha_Long_Bay:”Ha Long Bay”} as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. He thanked all the Vietnamese people, both living inside and out of the country, as well as the international friends of Vietnam who voted for Ha Long Bay for the last four years. He expressed his hope that the government and concerned agencies will work and continue preserving the natural beauty.
 
As recognition of its new status as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, Weber presented a commemorative plaque to Culture, Sport and Tourism Minister Hoang Tuan Anh and Chairman of Quang Ninh Province’ People’s Committee Nguyen Van Doc. The plaque was made in bronze and by hand from as far as Munich. The plaque will be passed on to the Quang Ninh government on May 1 on its yearly Ha Long Carnival event.
 
To celebrate further the important event, the ceremony was followed by an art, dancing and singing performances by more than one thousand artists and students. The stadium was especially designed to resemble Ha Long Bay with fake mountains, water and boats. Other beautiful spots in Vietnam were also highlighted in the stage, such as the Ho Dynasty Citadel Remnants, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Hue Citadel, My Son Sanctuary, and Hoi An City. Cultural heritage in Vietnam was also showcased at the ceremony, such as Phu Tho Xoan Singing, quan ho (northern love duet singing), ca tru (chamber singing), nha nhac (Hue royal music), don ca cai tu (southern amateur music), and Central Highland’s gongs.
 
Ha Long Bay was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1994 because of its “outstanding, universal aesthetic value.” In 2000, it was further recognized for its “outstanding geological and gemorphological value” by the World Heritage Committee. According to the director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan, Ha Long Bay has been a “best-selling” tourist destination.
 
The other New7Wonders of Nature finalists are: Amazon in South America; Iquazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil; Jeju Island in South Korea; Komodo in Indonesia; Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines; and Table Mountain in South Africa. They were selected from 440 locations in 220 countries and results were announced last November.
 
Establishing and advertising Ha Long Bay as a “tourism trademark” is the primary and urgent goal and duty of the tourism sector.