Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park reopens after storm

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has officially reopened for visitors from October 3 after closing for a week due to storm Wutip, according to the park’s management board.

Storm Wutip, the 10th to hit Vietnam this year, caused heavy damage to the central Quang Binh province, including the national park.

Most equipment and facilities serving guests in the park were damaged by strong wind and floods, with total damages estimated at more than three billion VND (141,000 USD).

The park’s management board and staff have mobilised all resources to surmount the storm’s consequences to greet visitors.

Established in 2001, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is among the 238 most important ecological zones in the world.

It was recognised by the UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site on geological and geomorphologic criteria in 2003.

The property contains and protects over 104 km of caves and underground rivers, making it one of the most outstanding limestone karst ecosystems in the world. The karst formation has evolved since the Palaeozoic period (some 400 million years ago) and as such is the oldest major karst area in Asia.

The park is also home to a large number of faunal and floral species, including threatened species such as tiger, Asiatic black bear, and the recently discovered sao la.