The northern province of Ninh Binh is expecting a sustainableboost in tourism following the recognition of Trang An Tourism Complexin the province as a world cultural and natural heritage site by UNESCOin June this year.

As of the end of July, the province welcomed nearly 3.5 million visitors.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Thang said inthe future, the complex will serve as an important gateway to linkdestinations in Ninh Binh with those in the Red River Delta and thenorthern coastal region.

Local authorities havebuilt a heritage management plan in line with the instructions of theUNESCO, while working with the ministries of construction, culture,sport and tourism on a master plan for the complex, creating a legalground for the management of activities relating to investment,construction, conservation and tourism.

Theprovince expects to join the 2015 National Tourism Year on the theme ofconnecting World Heritage sites in the country.

Covering an area of over 6,000 hectares, Trang An consists of the Hoa Luancient citadel, Trang An-Tam Coc-Bich Dong natural scenic site, andthe Hoa Lu primeval forest. The complex is often called Vietnam's HaLong Bay on land.

The lyric and picturesquelandscape of Trang An is a harmonic combination of mountains, valleysand lakes with numerous caves inside stunning limestone karst mountainranges.

Moreover, it is surrounded by primaryforests with variety of floral and fauna systems, including 310 types oftracheophyta, over 30 animals, 50 types of birds, reptiles, especiallyrare animals like Capricornis sumatraensis, Neofelis nebulosa and whitechest gibbon.

The area is a cradle of civilisationof ancient Vietnam, and also used to house the ancient capital ofVietnam, Hoa Lu, more than 1,000 years ago. The site boasts 47historical relics.-VNA