Located Southeast of Hai Phong City, the Cat Hai District is home to the famous Cat Ba archipelago and Lan Ha Bay. With an area of nearly 300 km2 and 366 large and small islands, the Cat Ba Archipelago includes Cat Ba National Park and has an incredibly diverse flora and fauna system. Cat Ba Islands and Lan Ha Bay have received numerous prestigious domestic and international titles. In 2003, the Prime Minister designated Cat Ba waters as a marine protected area of Vietnam, while in 2004, the Cat Ba archipelago was recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve. In 2013, it was designated as a special National Monument by the Prime Minister. In 2020, Lan Ha Bay became a member of the World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club Association. On September 16th, 2023, Cat Ba archipelago and Ha Long Bay were both recognized by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage sites, marking the first inter-province and city World Natural Heritage Site in Vietnam. Rarely anywhere in Vietnam will you find a complex of islands and caves on the sea as pristine and beautiful as Cat Ba.
Moreover, Cat Ba National Park, with 15,200 hectares, has an incredibly rich system of flora and fauna, including rare genetic resources listed in the world’s Red Book, such as the Cat Ba langur and the needle tree. Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve has been recognized as the world’s first “Learning Laboratory for Sustainable Development” for its biodiversity values. Just 90 minutes away from the capital Hanoi on the Hanoi – Hai Phong highway, Cat Ba in recent years has developed unique, high-quality, and attractive tourist products to renew its image, enhance its position, and increase its competitiveness in the tourism industry./.
