The UNESCO Programme and External Relations Commission of the 209th Executive Board recognised the Dak Nong Geopark in the Central Highlands province of Đak Nong as a Global Geopark in July 2020.

Dak Nong Geopark covers 4,760 km2 of 5 districts and 1 town, including Krong No, Cu Jut, Dak Mil, Dak Song, Dak G’long districts and Gia Nghia town. Photo: unesco.org.

The Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in association with the People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and experts completed dossier on Dak Nong Geopark and submitted it to UNESCO for Global Geo-Park recognition in last November.

Photo: congthuong.vn.

According to sggp news, UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. Their bottom-up approach of combining conservation with sustainable development while involving local communities is becoming increasingly popular. At present, there are 147 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 41 countries.

Unique volcanic cave system converging typical values of geology, geomorphology, archeology. Photo: congthuong.vn.

Photo: congthuong.vn.

Dak Nong Geopark covers 4,760 km2 of 5 districts and 1 town, including Krong No, Cu Jut, Dak Mil, Dak Song, Dak G’long districts and Gia Nghia town, as unesco.org reported.

Its history begins 140 millions years ago when an ocean was covering this area. Limestone, ammonites and various fossils are the silencious witness of this marine past. More recently, volcanoes were there. Their lava gives the basalt covering half of the area. About 10.000 years ago they were still active! This territory is also renowned as biggest volcanic cave system in Southeast Asia, inhabited by prehistoric people tens thousands of years ago.

In the cave, there are many structures typical for volcanic eruptions such as lava lines, sinkholes. Photo: congthuong.vn.

Stalactites inside the cave. Photo: congthuong.vn.

Dak Nong is also known by the first findings in the world of a lithophone, created 3,000 years ago, by prehistoric people from basalt. One of the oldest mankind’s musical instruments. Along with the gongs, epics and other ethnic musical instruments, the sound of streams and waterfalls, of volcanic eruptions, the voices of birds and animals, the murmuring of the wind, and even, in the recent past, the violent clashes of weapons, the lithophone deserves to become the main tone of the Dak Nong Geopark. Come and visit Dak Nong Geopark – The Lands of sounds to experience the “Rhapsody of Fire and Water”, enjoy the “Wind of Changes Concerto”, and listen to the “Sounds of the Earth”.

Photo: congthuong.vn.

Initial research results together with the collection of archaeological remains with a fairly dense density, recorded that this is a cultural vestige of the inhabitants of the Late Neolithic and Early Metal Ages dating from 6,000 to 3,000. years ago today. Photo: congthuong.vn.

Hang động núi lửa nằm trong khu du lịch thác Đray Sap. Photo: congthuong.vn.

Located on the M’Nông plateau at average elevation of 600-700m, the Geopark - the Land of Sounds - includes some 65 heritage sites including craters, a system of 50 caves created by volcanoes running a total length of 10,000m and waterfalls. In many caves, archaeologists have discovered interesting features of natural geology and traces of early humans, as vietnamnews reported.

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