Ba Bể National Park (Vietnamese: Vườn Quốc Gia Ba Bể) is a reserve located in Bắc Kạn Province, in the Northeast region of Vietnam. It was established to protect Ba Bể Lake, which is very cloudy, as well as the limestone and highland evergreen forests around it. The park is approximately 240 kilometers northwest of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.
Location
Ba Bě National Park is in Bắc Kạn Province. It is about 240 kilometers north of Hanoi, 70 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Bắc Kạn, and 14 kilometers west of the town of Cho Ra.
Ba Bể Lake
Ba Bể Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Ba Bể) is the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam. It is about 8 kilometers long from north to south. The lake's surface area changes between 3 and 5 square kilometers during dry and wet seasons. Unlike many lakes in Karst limestone areas, Ba Bể Lake never dries up. Its average depth ranges from 17 to 23 meters, with a maximum depth of 35 meters. The lake is located about 150 meters above sea level, making it Vietnam's highest lake. The name "Three Lakes" comes from three sections of the lake called Pe Leng, Pe Lu, and Pe Lam. These sections are connected to form one continuous body of water.
The Ta Han, Bo Lu, and Leng Rivers flow into the lake from the south and west. During the dry season, water flows from the lake northward into the Nang River. However, during heavy floods in the wet season, water flows in the opposite direction, from the Nang River into the lake. This helps control flooding in the area.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation in Ba Bể National Park is mostly made up of limestone forest and evergreen forest. Limestone forests grow on steep slopes with thin soil. Evergreen forests grow in areas with thicker soil and have more plant species. The main tree species in limestone forests are Burretiodendron hsienmu (Tiliaceae) and Streblus tonkinensis (Moraceae). Climbing bamboo (Ampelocalamus) is a plant found only in this region and is common on hill slopes near the lake.
The park is home to 65 mammal species, including the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), slow loris (Nycticebus coucang), rhesus macaque, stump-tailed macaque, François' langur, Asian black bear, European otter, Owston's palm civet, Asian golden cat, mainland serow, red giant flying squirrel, particolored flying squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger), hairy-footed flying squirrel, and 27 bat species.
There are also 233 bird species and 43 reptile and amphibian species recorded, including the king cobra and the Vietnamese salamander (Paramesotriton deloustali). In Ba Bé Lake, 106 fish species from 61 genera, 17 families, and 5 orders have been recorded. The park is also known for its variety of butterflies, with 354 species identified.
Scenic landscape features
Puong Cave is a large cave located in the northern part of the park. The Nang River flows through the cave. The main cave can be as high as 50 meters and is about 300 meters long. It is home to between 5,000 and 10,000 bats from 18 different species. The "Fairy Pond" is a rock basin filled with clear water that flows through the surrounding limestone rock. The Dau Dang Waterfall is created by the Nang River. It includes a series of rapids that extend for nearly one kilometer. Widow Island is a small, cone-shaped islet near the center of the southern lake. According to a local story, the islet was once the home of an old widow who was saved from a flood by divine help.
National park and infrastructure
Ba Bể National Park was created in 1992 and covers an area of 100.48 km². The park includes an information center, guest houses, a lake management station, and an ecological research station that opened in 2004.