On the afternoon of June 28, in Lang Son city, the Provincial People's Committee solemnly held a ceremony to receive the title "UN UNESCO Global Geopark".
This is an event marking Lang Son province officially joining the network of 229 global geoparks in 50 countries around the world.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Jonathan Wallace Senior, Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam emphasized: The Global Geopark is not only a recognition of the value of natural heritage, but also a commitment of the locality to sustainable development, cultural conservation and promoting community livelihoods.
With a total area of nearly 5,000 km2, Lang Son Geopark covers 8 districts and cities, and is a place that preserves hundreds of geological, archaeological, cultural, historical heritages and unique biodiversity values.
Not only an outdoor museum of nature, this land is also a living space of more than 17 ethnic groups with rich customs and practices.
Speaking with reporters, Mr. Luu Ba Mac, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lang Son province, said that after becoming a Global Geopark, Lang Son tourism industry is expected to explode strongly with many new types of tourism.
Specifically, geological tourism routes leading visitors to famous caves such as Nhi - Tam Thanh, Tham Khuyen - Tham Hai, majestic limestone mountains or ancient primary rainforests will become an attractive highlight for tourists who are passionate about experiencing nature.
Community cultural tourism based on the system of tangible and intangible cultural heritages, from Then festival, Tinh festival, to Mother worship, will be exploited in conjunction with tourism. Tourists can participate in tours to experience the culture, cuisine, and life of the Tay, Nung, Dao ethnic groups...
Along with that, the geological layers containing fossils from 500 million years ago such as Na Duong plain or the relics of Bac Son - Mai Pha culture here have turned them into ideal research and study addresses for scientists and students at home and abroad.
Mr. Hung Vi - a travel agency in Huu Lung district, Lang Son province said that in order for the title of Geopark to truly become a lever for development, Lang Son still faces many challenges.
According to the representative of this unit, tourism infrastructure in many places is not yet synchronous, especially in remote areas. Tourism human resources, especially the team of tour guides with a good grasp of geology and local culture, are still lacking and weak.
"The Global Geopark brand opens up great potential, but without attractive tourism products and professional services, it will be difficult to retain international visitors. Lang Son needs to soon complete the tour and high-quality human resources," said Mr. Vi.
Also according to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lang Son province, in the first 6 months of 2025, the total number of tourists to the locality is estimated to reach about 3.1 million, an increase of 4.7% over the same period in 2024.
Of which, international visitors reached about 131,000, while domestic visitors accounted for the majority with over 2.9 million. Tourism revenue is estimated at VND2,931 billion, up 12.6% over the same period, reaching 65.1% of the 2025 plan.
Lang Son Geopark was recognized by the Geopark Council as a Global Geopark in September 2024 and officially recognized by UNESCO as a UNESCO Global Geopark in April 2025, becoming the 4th Global Geopark in Vietnam after Dong Van Stone Plateau, Non Nuoc Cao Bang and Dak Nong Geopark.
UNESCO Lang Son Global Geopark was established in 2021; spanning an area of over 4,842 km2, with a population of about 627,500 people (equivalent to about 58% of the area and 78% of the province's population).
