World+Heritage+Areas

Hue Monuments. The Hue monuments were established in 1802. It was inspired by the purple Forbidden City in Beijing. Under the Nguyen dynasty it was made the capital in the same year it was established. It was also made the political, religious and cultural centre. Its reign was brought to an end when the last emperor announced the end of the Nguyen Dynasty. It was made a world heritage area for showing exceptional or unique testimony to a cultural tradition or a civilisation that is living or has disappeared, and for being an outstanding example of architectural or technological ensemble or landscapes that illustrates (a) significant stage (s) in human history. Ha Long Bay Ha Long bay is a series of islands and inlets formed in the gulf of Tonkin on the coast of Northern Vietnam. Most of Ha Long Bays sites, including a series of caves, is uninhabited and unaffected by humans, although these are a massive tourist attraction. The name Ha Long actually means descending dragon. This takes its name from an ancient Vietnamese myth, which says that while Vietnam was under siege from foreign ships a dragon came down spat out thousand pearls, these pearls turned into thousand of islands. This stopped the enemy from further advancing and getting to Vietnam. It was made a World Heritage Area in 1994 for its aesthetic value and its biological value. Criteria for inscription; to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance; to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.

Hoi An is an ancient town, and trading point, which dates back to 15th century. At this time it had the largest harbour in the southeastern Asia. Back then it was known as Lam Ap Pho. (champa city) The Thu Bon river was an important trading centre for Vietnam in the 16th and 17th century. Japanese, Indians, chines and Dutch also settled there.

At one stage the city had canals parallel to the streets. This was so merchandise could be easily loaded onto boats. The port lasted up until the 20th century. This was because the river became silted up, so the ships had to stop at Da Nang instead. The city at this point of its trading was known as Hai Pho (seaside town). When the French colonised the town it became known as Faifo. It became a World Heritage Area in 1999,because of its preserved trading areas. Criterion (ii): Hoi An is an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international commercial port. Criterion (v): Hoi An is an exceptionally well preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port.

My Son Sanctuary-Is a most important ancient kingdom in Champa. Between 4th and 13th century a unique culture developed, which took its spiritual origins from Indian Hinduism, which formed of the coast of contemporary Vietnam. It is illustrated by series of towers located in an area that was the religious and political capital for Champa city for most of its existence. It is at this place where the kings spoke to the gods and the statue of Sheba originally stood. During the Vietnam War my son sanctuary became a battlefield and a target for air strikes. Many great buildings were ruined or destroyed. The towers at my son sanctuary were carved in many elaborate carvings. These carvings usually showed some cultural or religious significance, and usually showed how people lived. My Son Sanctuary became a World Heritage area in 1999 for these criteria: Criterion (ii): The My Son Sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction the Hindu architecture of the Indian sub-continent into South-East Asia. Criterion (iii):The Champa Kingdom was an important phenomenon in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia, vividly illustrated by the ruins of My Son. media type="custom" key="817683" Phong Nha-Ke bang national park

It is renowned for its cave and grotto system. It has about 300 caves and grottoes, which has a total length of 70km, only 20 of which have been surveyed. It also shows a lot about the earth’s history. The Phong Nha area of the national park has several World records ranging from longest underground to largest caverns.

The park gets its name from the most beautiful cave (Phong Nha) and The Ke bang forest.

Phong Nha and Ke bang forest became World heritage listed areas in 2003.

The National park has a major historical significance for Vietnam. Many ancient Champa Relics were found in these sequences of caves. The oldest evidence of human occupation in this area is neothandic axe head. http://www.travel-images.com/unesco-vietnam.html (Date accessed 20,3,08) http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/678http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/678 (Date accessed 20,3,08) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoi_An (Date accessed 20,3,08) http://www.footprintsvietnam.com/destination_hoi_an.htm (Date accessed 22,3,08) http://www.footprintsvietnam.com/destination_hoi_an.htm (Date accessed 22,3,08) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phong_Nha-Ke_Bang_National_Park#Historical_significance (Date accessed 24,3,08) http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672/video (3,4,08) http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672 (Date accessed 3,4,08) http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/949 (Date accessed 3,4,08) http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/949/video (Date accessed 3,4,08) http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/948/video (Date accessed 3,4,08)

Ha long bay

http://www.cruiseshalong.com/imgs/2f26b3dc2a18c0d653e730a339f2cf13-beachsystemmap1.gif

Year 9 geography/History assignment

Where is it? Ha long bay is located north east of Vietnam.

What is there? At ha long bay there are mountains covered in limestone, and the bay is covered in nice and calm blue water.

What is the climate? The climate has 2 seasons and they are wet, and dry. The average temperature is 15 to 20º c. The average rainfall is about 2000mm per year.

What is the size? The bay has a 120 kilometres long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size.

What is the importance? The importance of the bay is that is is one of the world heritage sites listed by unesco. It is important because it is one of the most poplar tourist destinations. There once was a Vietnamese army there defending it and they stopped ships from coming in and destroying it.

What is the population? About 1600 people live at ha-long bay in villages and they get there food from fishing.

The end of the Vietnam war, and the advent of "Doi moi", Vietnam's policy of opening its economy to foreign trade, means that Westerners and South Vietnamese now have a chance to visit Ha long. Vinh Ha Long or Bay of the Descending Dragon is often touted by proud Vietnamese as the world's Eighth wonder. Ha Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country. Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal, not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by. A community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture. Originally in Ha Long Bay there was only one fishing village. Now there are about ten.

Halong Bay is one of the world’s natural wonders, and is the most beautiful tourist destination of Vietnam. Halong Bay features more than one thousand awesome limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach.

http://www.halongbay-vietnam.com/ http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/halongbay08.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halong_Bay

By Archie Munro ↓

Who live there? A community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cua Van, Ba Hang, Cong Tau and Vong Vieng in Hung Thang commune, Ha Long city.
===Tourism? Ha Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country. Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal, not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by.===

Islands?
===The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave //Grotte des Merveilles//. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.=== ===Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.===

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
===**Phong Nha - Ke Bang** is a National park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bo Trach and Minh Hoa districts of central Quang Binh Province, in North central Vietnam, about 500 km south of the nation's capital, Hanoi.===

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phong_Nha-Ke_Bang_National_Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha_Long_Bay