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Van Long Nature Reserve – Source: https://dulichdongque.com/
Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve is 17 km northeast of Ninh Binh city center. It was established by the Provincial People’s Committee in December 2001. It is one of three special-use forests in Ninh Binh province and is part of a system of more than 100 special-use forests in Vietnam.
The natural area is over 3,500 hectares, of which the area under the management of the conservation area is 2,743 hectares, of which the area of permanent wetlands is about 400 hectares. This is considered the largest inland wetland in the Northern Delta. Van Long is a place with many potentials for natural and human tourism, has a favorable location for sightseeing, and plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the province.
With the meaning of “Van” is cloud, “Long” is dragon, Van Long is the place where dragons and clouds converge, also means the place where water gathers (because clouds and dragons are both symbols of water sources). The name “Van Long” carries within it a dream, an aspiration of the people here for a peaceful life, favorable rain, harmonious wind “like a dragon meeting clouds”. “Van Long” also means a dragon flying in the clouds.
Van Long Wetland Reserve is located in 7 communes of Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh, namely Gia Hung, Lien Son, Gia Hoa, Gia Van, Gia Lap, Gia Tan, Gia Thanh in the Northeast of Ninh Binh province. Van Long terrain is flat, with an elevation difference of no more than 0.5m. It is an area with high biodiversity, with a limestone mountain ecosystem that is home to the largest population of “Douc langurs” in Vietnam.
Van Long forest has 457 species of vascular plants belonging to 327 genera and 127 families. Notably, there are 8 species listed in the Vietnam Red Book (1996) which are Kiem, Lat Hoa, Tue La Ban, Cot Toai Boi, Sang, Bach Bo, Ma Tien Hoa Tan… Regarding animals, there are 39 species, 19 families, 7 orders of mammals; there are 12 rare species such as Langur Quan Troi (with the largest number in Vietnam), Asian black bear, mountain goat, big loris, red-faced monkey, zebra plow,… Among reptiles, there are 9 species listed in the Vietnam Red Book which are king cobra, monitor lizard, python, rat snake, rat snake, red-headed striped snake, banded krait, cobra, gecko. It is noteworthy that in the flooded area of Van Long, there is a species of water bug belonging to the family of swimming pods, a rare insect species, currently very rare in Vietnam. Living water bugs represent the purity of the water environment and the surrounding landscape.
Van Long eco-tourism area has 32 beautiful caves, many of which are large and valuable such as Ca cave, Bong cave, Rua cave, Chanh cave. There is also Cham zinc and Mau temple, where the mother of the four generals Hong Nuong is worshiped. Van Long is a very good eco-tourism site, a research and study site for scientists and students who want to study the inland wetlands of Vietnam.
Source: Department of Natural Resources and Environment