Dang Huy Hau, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh provincial People's Committee delivers a speech at the title awarding ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

The title awarding ceremony was held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the local People’s Committee in Ha Long city on Friday, coinciding with an event to mark International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) and International Migratory Bird Day (May 10).

ASEAN Heritage Park program is an initiative of the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, implemented since 2002.

Coral reef in Bai Tu Long National Park (Photo: VNA)

Bai Tu Long National Park meets all the criteria to become an ASEAN Heritage Park, including ecological integrity, representativeness, nature, preservation, a management and conservation plan, and legality. Recently, the title was bestowed on five national parks in Vietnam, including Ba Be, Hoang Lien, Kon Ka Kinh, Chu Mom Ray, and U Minh Thuong.