Three national parks and a nature reserve of Việt Nam have been added to the list of ASEAN heritage parks, taking the country's number to 10. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Three national parks and a nature reserve in Việt Nam have been added to the list of ASEAN heritage parks, taking the country's number to 10.

The parks are Vũ Quang National Park in Hà Tĩnh Province, Bidoup Núi Bà in Lâm Đồng Province and Lò Gò-Xa Mát in Tây Ninh Province, while Ngọc Linh Nature Reserve in Kon Tum Province rounds off the list.

Vũ Quang National Park in central Vietnam is still off the beaten track but is home to many rare species such as the saola and giant muntjac.

Bidoup Núi Bà National Park is around 50km from Đà Lạt City in the Central Highlands and is an ideal place for trekking and camping overnight.

Lò Gò-Xa Mát National Park in southern Việt Nam boasts lowland evergreen forests and a variety of wetland habitats, including seasonal flooded grasslands and forests, permanent lakes and watercourses.

Ngọc Linh Nature Reserve in the Central Highlands spreads over 41,420 hectares, and is considered one of Việt Nam’s four major biodiversity treasures.

To achieve such recognition, they had to meet criteria: maintenance of ecological processes and life support systems; preservation of genetic diversity; guarantee of sustainable utilisation of species and ecosystems; and a wilderness area with scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational and tourism values. — VNS