Cat Ba National Park is a convergence of many ecosystems including marine ecosystems, terrestrial forest ecosystems, mangrove ecosystems.
Cat Ba National Park was established on March 31, 1986 under Decision No. 79 / CP of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam (now the government). Including marine ecosystems, terrestrial forest ecosystems, mangrove ecosystems.
Cat Ba National Park is located 30 nautical miles east of downtown Hai Phong.
Has geographic coordinates:
20 ° 44′50 ″ -20 ° 55′29 ″ north latitude.
106 ° 54′20 ″ -107 ° 10′05 ″ east longitude.
North borders Gia Luan commune. East borders Ha Long Bay. The West borders Cat Ba Island Tourism Town and the communes of Xuan Dam, Tran Chau and Hien Hao.
The whole Cat Ba National Park consists of a rugged mountainous area with elevations <500 m, most of which is in the range of 50–200 m. Cat Ba Island is dominated by limestone mountains interspersed with many narrow valleys running in a northeast-southwest direction.
Cat Ba National Park has an area of 26,240 ha, of which 17,040 ha of island land and 9,200 ha of sea surface. This is where many different ecosystems (ecosystems) converge: mangroves ecosystem, limestone forest ecosystems, marine ecosystems with coral reefs. There is a diverse flora and fauna, including 2,320 species of plants and animals, including 282 species of animals living in the forest, 538 species of animals living on the sea floor, 196 species of sea fish, 771 species of terrestrial plants, 23 species. mangrove plants, 75 species of seaweed, 177 species of corals ...
The forest here has a main type of evergreen tropical rain forest, but due to the topography, soil and water regime, there are a number of sub-types of forest: limestone mountains, islands , freshwater mountain forests. The forests here also have many specific types of forest ecology such as Kim Giao complex (at the area near the top of Ngu Lam); monoculture and water (Frog Pond area).
The composition of plants includes 741 different species, many kinds of precious trees such as oysters, flower slices, ironwood, chestnut, conifer, white knuckle, white almond, and the world's only in the Himalayas, flooded plants 23 species of salt, seaweed 75 species, phytoplankton 199 species.
In particular, Cat Ba archipelago has up to 60 endemic and endangered species included in the Vietnam Red Book such as: The animal with the white-headed langur, the white-legged langur, the crows, the black squirrel ...; plants have a spirit of admiration, slices of flowers, golden hands, honey nests. Especially in Trung Trang area, there is a conifer forest, an endemic tree that lives in a group on an area of tens of hectares in the middle of the garden center. According to a recent survey, in Cat Ba there are only more than 60 white-headed langurs - endemic species only in our country and in the world.
On the main island, there are lush tropical forests all year round. This is a primeval forest and one of the largest national parks in the country (Cat Ba National Park). The area of protection is 15,200 ha, including 9,800 ha and 4,200 ha of sea. Cat Ba forest has been recognized as a national park since May 23, 1983.
With its high biodiversity, the Cat Ba archipelago has been officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve during the meeting of the International Council for the Coordination of Human and Biosphere Programs held in Paris, on 10/29/2004. Cat Ba archipelago recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve is a driving force for economic development, tourism, promoting aquaculture, fishing and scientific research.