Cát Bà National Park (Vietnamese: Vườn Quốc Gia Cát Bà) is a World Heritage Site designated as a biosphere reserve in northern Vietnam. The park is part of Cát Bà Island in Hạ Long Bay and is managed by the city of Haiphong. It is located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Hai Phong, covering approximately 263 square kilometers (102 square miles). The park includes 173 square kilometers (67 square miles) of land and 90 square kilometers (35 square miles) of inshore water.

The Cát Bà langur, also known as the white-headed langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), lives in the park. It is listed as a critically endangered primate by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, making it one of the rarest animals in the world.

History

Cát Bà National Park was created on March 31, 1986, by a government decision numbered 79/CP. The park became a well-known place for visitors, especially wealthy tourists from China and Vietnam, starting in the mid-1990s. This increase in visitors led to greater demand for traditional medicine and encouraged activities like logging and development. These actions caused the white-headed langur population to drop sharply, from 2,600 in the past to only 40 by 2003. By 2016, the number had increased slightly to about 67, with an estimated range of 5 more or less.

Geography

Cát Bà National Park is located near the northeast coast of Vietnam and covers most of Cát Bà Island. The park headquarters are in Trung Trang. The island is mostly made of limestone, with narrow valleys running from northeast to southwest. Many hills are rough and rocky, with some reaching up to 500 meters (1,600 feet) in height. Most hills are between 50 and 200 meters (160 and 660 feet) tall.

The geographic coordinates are:

There are five main soil groups:

• Limestone soil: This soil forms from weathered limestone and sandstone. It is more than 50 centimeters (20 inches) thick and has a pH of 6.5 to 7. It is found under forest canopies and in gardens.
• Hills with forest cover: These hills have brown soil or weathered limestone. The soil is less acidic or nearly neutral. Thin, rocky soil develops from white or gray yellow brown clay shale.
• Valley soil: This soil is found on limestone in valleys and is covered by natural forests.
• Thing Valley land: This area is often flooded during the rainy season. The surface soil is medium or thin.
• Estuary land: This land forms from materials deposited in the estuary. Mangrove forests grow in areas like Cai Vieng and Phu Long.

The park covers an area of 16,196.8 hectares (40,023 acres). Of this, 10,931.7 hectares (27,013 acres) are forested, and 5,265.1 hectares (13,010 acres) are sea. The forest includes primary, secondary, and mangrove forests.

Biological resources

Over 1,500 types of plants have been found, including 118 kinds of trees and 160 kinds of plants that can be used for medicine.

So far, 282 species have been found. These include 32 types of mammals, 78 types of birds, 20 types of reptiles and amphibians, 98 types of zooplankton, 196 types of marine fish, and 177 types of coral. The most often seen mammals are civet, deer, macaques, and squirrels. The island lies along a major path for waterfowl, which use the mangrove forests to eat and rest.