Vietnam's Phu Yen Geopark seeks UNESCO Global Geopark status

Rich geological and cultural heritage

Established in 2024, Phu Yen Geopark covers nearly 2,000sq.km of land and about 1,000sq.km of sea across 22 communes and wards in eastern Dak Lak. 

With nearly 189km of coastline, offshore islands, rocky cliffs, beaches, lagoons and bays, the area boasts rich geological, landscape, cultural and biodiversity values. It is also home to diverse ethnic groups, including the Kinh, Hoa, Cham, E De and Ba Na.

According to the Phu Yen Geopark Management Board, notable geological features include metamorphic rock formations dating back 1.8-2 billion years at Chop Chai and Mu U mountains and Nhat Tu Son. 

Ancient granite formed by cooled magma can be found at Nhan Mountain, Ca Pass and Da Bia Mountain, while volcanic activity created columnar basalt formations at Ganh Da Dia, Hon Yen and Hon Dun.

Interactions between land and sea have created distinctive landscapes such as O Loan and Cu Mong lagoons and Xuan Dai Bay. The formation of the East Sea and deep fault systems along the Ba River have also left traces in hot springs at Phu Sen, Tra O and Lac Sanh.

The geopark also contains rich tangible and intangible cultural values, including three special national relic sites, 19 national relic sites, more than 80 provincial-level relic sites and four national intangible cultural heritage items.

Its coastal and riverine landscape has shaped a distinctive culture reflected in traditional festivals such as whale-worshipping ceremonies and boat races, as well as folk performing arts including Bai Choi (folk singing) and Tuong (classical drama). 

Phu Yen Bai Choi, part of the Vietnamese art of Bai Choi in central Vietnam, has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Traditional craft villages producing fish sauce, rice paper, basket boats, salt, pottery, sedge mats and brocade also preserve cultural knowledge and support local livelihoods. 

The area's diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems offer potential for ecotourism, nature-based tourism and environmental education.

Conservation as foundation for tourism development

Director of the Phu Yen Geopark Management Board Huynh Vinh Ngoc said the board is implementing 12 key tasks under the project, focusing on surveying and assessing geological heritage and biodiversity and completing a dossier for submission to UNESCO next year.

The board is also promoting cooperation and training, organising international conferences, and developing tourism and promotional activities linked to the geopark, he added.

Despite its considerable potential, the geopark has yet to fully realise its tourism value. Experts, investors and local residents have pointed to inadequate infrastructure at some heritage sites and a lack of professionalism in heritage interpretation, limiting the effective communication of scientific, cultural and historical stories to visitors.

Hoang Xuan Don, head of the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark Management Board, said Phu Yen has great potential in geology, culture and nature, and UNESCO recognition could provide fresh momentum for tourism development.

He stressed the need to build a qualified professional team, complete the UNESCO dossier and strengthen community participation, while developing craft villages in association with tourism to create livelihoods and raise public awareness of heritage conservation.

To meet UNESCO Global Geopark criteria, Dak Lak aims to develop a model based on conservation and centred on local communities. 

The province plans to establish geological, experiential, community, educational and research tourism routes, linking geological heritage with local culture, cuisine, craft villages and agriculture to create high-value tourism products.

Trinh Hai Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources and head of the Specialised Subcommittee on Vietnam Global Geoparks, said developing Phu Yen Geopark under UNESCO criteria is a long-term strategy requiring scientific rigour and consensus among authorities, businesses and communities.

The goal, he stressed, is not merely to obtain UNESCO recognition but to conserve heritage values, create sustainable livelihoods and bring Phu Yen's distinctive assets closer to domestic and international visitors.