Cuc Phuong Tourist Centre is inaugurated in Ninh Binh province (photo: VNA)

Built 27 years ago, Cuc Phuong Tourist Center was the first tourist center in a national park in Indochina. Last year the Center was renovated with the help of European experts.

Cuc Phuong Visitor Center has three areas: "Welcome", "Forest", and "Children's Space". The center was designed to be intuitive, realistic, attractive, and lively, using images, artifacts and sound to give visitors a memorable experience. It was built from local materials as an invitation for visitors to explore the forest.

Nguyen Van Chinh, Director of Cuc Phuong National Park, said he believes the renovated Tourist Center should promote environmental responsibility.

"The new Tourist Center was opened to public on December 1. We believe using a new way to deliver our message to tourists will make them love Cuc Phuong and the forest more. We hope the public, the community, and society will take responsibility for green forests in the interest of national development," said Chinh.

Every year Cuc Phuong National Park welcomes 120,000 visitors, including 7,000 students.

To preserve its biodiversity and natural landscapes, Cuc Phuong has set up a tourism ecosystem that includes many environmentally responsible programs and products, such as the “Journey to Revival” and "Going Home" tours dedicated to rescuing injured or endangered wild animals, and a summer camp where students learn about nature and the environment.

Covering 22,000 hectares in 14 communes of four districts in Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa province, the park boasts enchanting scenery and a stunning level of biodiversity.

It has long served as a research center for many conservation organizations, both national and international. According to surveys, Cuc Phuong has 430 species of medicinal plants and 229 species of edible plants as well as 57 species which are listed in the Vietnam Red Book of endangered species. The Cuc Phuong National Park was named Asia’s Leading National Park by the World Travel Awards for the fifth consecutive year this year.