Vietnam's first UNESCO Global Geopark has done it again. The Đồng Văn Karst Plateau, in the northern mountain province of Tuyên Quang, has passed UNESCO's periodic revalidation for the fourth consecutive time, receiving the so-called Green Card - the highest rating a geopark can get - after a unanimous vote by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council at a meeting in Paris.
The renewal isn't just paperwork. Council members highlighted how the geopark ties conservation to everyday life: heritage management that involves local communities, respect for indigenous languages and culture, and tourism that generates jobs - especially for ethnic minority households living on the plateau. Sophie Justice, chair of the council's 11th session and director of France's Chablais Geopark, said Vietnam's geoparks have made significant progress in recent years and urged the region to keep investing in education, sustainable tourism and heritage management as long-term commitments. Vietnam's technical lead, Dr Trịnh Hải Sơn, noted that three of five previous recommendations have been completed, with the rest underway.
For travellers, the numbers behind the designation are striking. The geopark covers more than 2,350 square kilometres, over 70% of it limestone, with jagged peaks and deep gorges carved across roughly 550 million years of Earth history - the rock dates back to the Cambrian period. Mạc Vạc is the highest summit at 1,971 metres, while Tu Sản Gorge is Southeast Asia's deepest canyon, its cliffs dropping more than 700 metres. Fossil sites, caves and fault lines record two mass extinctions, including the Permian-Triassic event 251 million years ago that erased around 90% of marine species.
The area has been quietly building a reputation. In 2010 it became Vietnam's first UNESCO Global Geopark and only the second in Southeast Asia, and the World Travel Awards have named it Asia's Leading Emerging Tourism Destination in 2023 and Asia's Leading Cultural Destination in both 2024 and 2025. The latest UNESCO decision is expected to boost Tuyên Quang's profile on Vietnam's tourism map - so if the far north is on your list, this is the moment to go before the crowds catch up.
