Vietnam’s Trang An makes latest list of 100 global geological heritage sites

The Ninh Binh Department of Tourism announced on Thursday that the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) had unveiled the third 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites, with Vietnam’s Trang An Tropical Karst included in the category of geomorphological features and active geological processes.

The IUGS describes Trang An as "the world's best-known example of a tropical karst landscape that was once inundated by the sea and has since emerged above ground."

Featuring distinctive landforms shaped by more than 250 million years of geological evolution, the area encompasses cone-shaped and tower-shaped limestone mountains, enclosed valleys, karst depressions and underground cave networks with abundant stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Notably, Trang An also preserves intact evidence of past periods of rising and falling sea levels, including wave-cut notches on cliff faces, wave-cut platforms, beach sediments and accumulations of marine shells.

These valuable geological records help shed light on changes in sea levels, landscape evolution and shifts in the natural environment over different geological periods.

Beyond its geological significance, the area is also an important archaeological treasure trove, reflecting the history of human settlement and people's enduring adaptation to harsh climatic and environmental changes over tens of thousands of years.

In 2014, the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex became the first mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, recognized for both its cultural and natural values.

In addition to its outstanding universal value, UNESCO has recognized Trang An as a model for harmonizing nature conservation with sustainable economic and tourism development while ensuring shared benefits for the government, businesses and local residents.

The IUGS recognition in 2026 not only affirms Trang An's internationally significant geological value but also acknowledges the locality's sustained efforts to preserve the heritage site and provide livelihoods for local communities, according to the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism.

The recognition is expected to provide a valuable opportunity for Ninh Binh to raise its profile on the global tourism map and expand cooperation in scientific research and heritage education.