Dong Van

Located 132 km from Ha Giang town along 4C Road, Dong Van stone plateau is a rugged and majestic rocky area in the north with magnificent and impressive beauty.

Overview of Dong Van

Dong Van stone plateau lies at an average altitude of 1,000 m - 1,600 m above sea level with an area of ??nearly 2,356 km² stretching across the area of ??4 districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac and Dong Van of Ha Giang province.

This is one of the special limestone areas of the country, containing typical imprints of the earth's development history. Dong Van has 80% of the limestone area, made up of very different environmental conditions and development stages lasting hundreds of millions of years.

From Ha Giang city, following 4C Highway about 43 km to Quan Ba ??district, then continue to follow this path to the imposing Can Ty pass through pine forests, winding slopes, visitors will turn to Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac districts to explore the rock plateau.

Dong Van

The climate of Dong Van

Due to the rugged terrain, the climate on the Dong Van rock plateau is temperate and divided into two seasons: rainy season and dry season. The annual average temperature is about 24-28ºC, the winter temperature sometimes falls to -5ºC. The area of ??Dong Van stone plateau has been famous as a remote area, extremely harsh terrain, difficult transportation, a serious shortage of production land and living water which has a significant impact on the life of ethnic people. Therefore, relying only on traditional agriculture with scarce land and water resources will certainly be difficult to escape poverty. Therefore, the construction of the Geopark of Dong Van Stone Plateau is a new model that can limit the disadvantages of the region for economic development based on the special strengths and potentials of the Dong Van stone plateau in term of tourism.

Dong Van stone plateau is beautiful at any time of year, but Don Van in the flower seasons are considered the most beautiful time.

Dong Van

Tourism potentials for tourism development in Dong Van

The Geopark of Dong Van Stone Plateau is a prominent place for various types of geological heritage, cultural heritage and biodiversity. So far, scientists have investigated and identified 139 manifestations of the specific geological heritage of all types, with 15 international levels, 68 national and 56 local levels, in addition, many cave heritage, fossil heritage in sedimentary rocks in Dong Van Rock Plateau Park have not been able to research, investigate and evaluate.

The Geological Park area of ??Dong Van Plateau is home to many important geological events of regional and planetary scale, especially two of the five major events of the Earth's life history with destruction.

The geological tectonic activities have divided the Dong Van rock plateau into strong blocks and movements that have created a terrain difference of up to a thousand meters, forming gorges, especially in limestone areas. Among the karst alleys in Dong Van, the Tu Hem alley on Nho Que river is the most beautiful and majestic one.

Dong Van

In the position of Ma Pi Leng Pass, the miraculous folds of Devon's limestone age can be observed. The cave system on Dong Van plateau is also a product of karst evolution and is a very interesting tourist destination such as Dragon cave in Sang Tung (Dong Van), Lung Khuy cave, Kho My cave (Quan Ba), En cave in Van Chai (Dong Van).

Dong Van stone plateau has a unique and diverse rocky ecosystem. It also retains the system of primeval forests, which are the habitat of wild animals with over 50 species of mammals, birds, reptiles such as chamois, snub-nosed monkeys, wild pigs, civets and squirrels, forest chickens, etc create the natural beauty and vividness of the stone plateau.

Dong Van stone plateau also possesses many beautiful landscapes and cultural relics such as Doi Mountain (Quan Ba), Vuong's palaces, Lung Cu flagpole, Dong Van ancient street, Lung Cam village of H'Mong people, Lung Tam Weaving Brocade village.

Dong Van stone plateau is home to 16 ethnic minorities with unique cultural identity, expressed in traditional festivals and upland markets such as Pho Bang, Dong Van, and Lung Cu markets. Especially, the unique festivals of the H'Mong ethnic group, such as Khau Vai festival and buckwheat flower festival are also kept.

Dong Van stone plateau also attracts tourists with highland ethnic cuisine such as Dong Van rolled sheets, thang co, bamboo rice, men men, etc. With outstanding values, on October 3/ 2010, at Lesvos (Greece), the Global Geoparks Network Advisory Council (GGN) officially recognized Dong Van stone plateau as a global geopark.

With a majestic landscape, unspoiled beauty, and the unique traditional culture of 16 ethnic groups, Dong Van stone plateau has become the leading tourist attraction of Vietnam.