Covering a total area of 18,414 hectares, the conservation area includes 13,230 hectares of functional zones (strictly protected zone, ecological restoration zone, and service-administration zone) and 5,184 hectares of buffer zone.
The 2025 Hạ Long Heritage International Marathon marked ten years of excellence, concluding on Sunday with breathtaking performances and inspiring stories from athletes across the world.
The Hạ Long Bay Heritage International Marathon 2025 kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony on Saturday afternoon in Quảng Ninh Province. This landmark event celebrates a historic achievement: Việt Nam''s first internationally recognised running course adhering to global standards.
It is expected that during the 2025–2026 cruise season from October 2025 to April 2026, there will be nine trips on the Beihai – Hạ Long route bringing visitors to Quảng Ninh.
Notably, the event will welcome South Korean athletics legend Lee Bong-ju, who won the silver medal in the marathon category at the 1996 Olympics, along with about 1,500 tourists and businesspeople from South Korea.
Central to the plan is the transformation of Hạ Long Bay into a “sleepless tourism hub”, a night-time economy that could cement Quảng Ninh’s status as “northern Việt Nam’s biggest tourism epicenter” in a new growth phase.
Protecting and promoting World Heritage is not only the responsibility of a single sector or locality, but of the entire region, the nation, and the current and future generations.
The programme featured a range of activities, including group practice sessions of the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP), Vietnamese–Indian cultural performances, a commemorative flag handover ceremony for clubs, and a beach clean-up to help protect the marine environment.
Local authorities have implemented a range of coordinated measures to boost tourism and service sectors, focusing on efforts to draw more visitors, especially international cruise tourists, and diversifying services and tour routes to Bái Tử Long Bay.
The video was filmed shortly after BOND’s live concert in Hà Nội in October, with the all-female group dressed in traditional Vietnamese áo dài while performing Victory, one of their most iconic compositions.
During their one-day stay, 1,700 tourists from Japan will be divided into groups for excursions to Hạ Long Bay, the city itself, and possibly nearby Hải Phòng or rural villages.
Themed "Connecting heritage, leading the way to shine", the festival will feature a grand opening ceremony, DJ performances, and a high-altitude fireworks display.