Ba Bể National Park

22.405278 105.615278Coordinates: 22 ° 24 ' N , 105 ° 37' E

Ba Be National Park

The National Park Ba Bể ( Vietnamese Vườn quốc gia Ba Bể ) is located in the province of Bắc Kạn in the mountainous north of Vietnam . The protected area covers an area of 10,048 hectares. The landscape of the national park is characterized by extensive forest areas, mountains, steep slopes, deeply cut valleys, rivers, cultivated land and the lake landscape Hồ Ba Bể , the only natural mountain lakes in Vietnam.

history

The Ba Bể National Park was established in 1992 and was the eighth national park in Vietnam at that time. The ethnic groups in the park are Tày (62%), Hmong (20%), Dzao (5%) and Nung (3%). The Vietnamese (Kinh) settled recently and now make up 10% of the population.

structure

The national park has an area of approx. 7510 hectares and is located approx. 250 kilometers north of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi in the province of Bắc Kạn . The park administration implements numerous projects that include both the protective function of the park (protection of forests, creation of habitats for wild animals) and the economic development of the region (ecotourism, creation of jobs in agriculture and forestry). In order to implement these sustainable and long-term goals, four functional zones were created within the boundaries of the national park, each with a different intensity of nature conservation and economic development function (strictly protected zone, ecological rehabilitation zone, administrative zone and the buffer zone adjacent to the park) . The strictly protected zone covers an area of 3662.2 ha and is located in the west of the park around the settlement of Nam Mẫu . This zone acts as a retreat for wild animals and is protected from human influence (agriculture, hunting). With 4083.6 hectares, the ecological rehabilitation zone is the largest. In this zone the focus is on the reforestation of the previously cleared forests. Many areas that are easily accessible (i.e. not too steep) have been exploited by human activity. Intensive hunting has also resulted in some species becoming extinct locally in the 1960s. The purpose of this zone is not only to regenerate the forests, but also the forest fauna. The administrative zone (300.2 ha) is home to residential, administrative and tourist areas.

geography

The national park is named after the lake landscape Hồ Ba Blandschaft , which is surrounded by limestone mountains in a karst depression . The national park is between 150 and 1098 meters above sea level. As usual for karst mountains, there is a multitude of caves, the 300 meter long Puong Cave (Động Puông) being the largest. The Ba Bể Lake is fed by the rivers Tá Hân, Nam Cường and Cho Leng to the south and flows north into the Nang River. The core zone of the national park is covered with dense tropical rainforest and includes the area around the settlement of Nam Mẫu and the neighboring municipalities. The narrow valley floors are mostly inhabited and are used for growing wet rice . The agricultural land in the national park is only possible to a very limited extent due to the steep relief. During the rainy season , the rising lake level floods the cultivated areas. The buffer zone of the national park covers the entire area around the settlements of Cao Thượng, Cao Trĩ, Khang Ninh, Quảng Khê, Hoàng Trĩ and Đồng Phúc. The landscape in the buffer zone is very different from that in the core zone (directly around the lakes). The significantly larger catchment areas drain into wide valleys, which are largely used for agricultural purposes with rice cultivation . Rice is mainly grown in the vicinity of rivers; at higher altitudes, agricultural use changes into fields and pastures. Higher-lying areas are used to grow corn , cassava and highland rice. The highest areas in the mountains are usually densely forested.

Flora and fauna

The forest in Ba Bể National Park is classified into two types: lime forest and rain forest. The lime forest is located on the steep, shallow soils of the limestone slopes and is widespread. This type of forest consists mainly of Burretiodendron hsienmu and Streblus tonkinensis . The rainforest in the lowlands occurs on deeper soils and has a higher diversity and also has a richer undergrowth. The forests in the national park are heavily influenced by human intervention. A total of 603 vascular plants in 137 families were registered in the national park . Of these, 10 species are on the Red List of Threatened Species for Vietnam. The national park also includes a unique selling point among the protected areas in Vietnam with regard to the diversity in freshwater habitats. This is expressed through the diversity of freshwater fish in the lake. In any case, both the flora and fauna of the Ba Bể National Park have not been fully explored. The rainforest in this tropical karst landscape is one of the few habitats in which two endangered species of monkeys occur ( Semnopithecus francoisi francoisi and Pygathrix avunculus ). Two other endangered species are the spotted roller ( Chrotogale owstoni ) and the Vietnamese salamander ( Paramesotriton deloustali ). A total of 354 butterfly species, 43 reptiles and amphibians, 38 mammal species, 27 bat species and 233 bird species were registered.

tourism

The development of ecotourism in the Ba Bể National Park follows a sustainable , participatory approach. The expansion of tourist infrastructure, hiking trails or the upgrading of sights is carried out to an extent that does justice to the protection goal of the national park. Employees in the national park are also trained in foreign languages and the management of tourists, as well as in the management of restaurants and hotels that meet the different standards of tourists. Nevertheless, tourism in the Ba Bể National Park is underdeveloped, as it is difficult to get there by public transport and there are few accommodations. Most of them are very simple inns, there are hardly any hotels. Tourism takes place predominantly through organized tours that can be booked through travel agencies. In addition to the lake as the most important attraction in the national park (with the islands of Án Mã, Khẩu Cúm and Po Gia Mải), numerous other natural spectacles can be reached via boat trips and hikes. The 30 meter high and 300 meter long Puong Cave (Động Puông) along the Năng River can only be reached by boat. In the immediate vicinity of the lake are the Dau Dang waterfall (Thác Đầu ,ng) and the Fairy Pond , a small, legendary lake in a narrow depression. The interesting settlements Pac Ngoi and Ban Cam, which are located directly on the lake, are accessible via hiking trails.

gallery

Sign at the entrance to Ba Bể lake
Ba Bể lake
In the mountains of the national park
Residential house in the mountains
Đầu Đẳng waterfall
Động Puông cave

Web links

Commons : Ba Bể National Park - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Commons : Ba Bể-Seen - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Website of the National Park ( Engl. ) The B-Tourist. Retrieved February 5, 2015.

literature

M. Hill, D. Hallam et al .: Ba Be National Park: Site description and conservation evaluation. ( engl ). Hanoi, Vietnam, 1997.

Individual evidence

↑ Hill M., Hallam D. et al., 1997.
↑ ^a ^b Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee and Ba Be National Park: Operational Plan for Ba Be National Park, Bac Kan Province (Period 2001-2005). ( engl ). PARC Project VIE / 95G31 & 031, 2001.
↑ Sourcebook of Existing and Proposed Protected Areas in Vietnam: Ba Be National Park. ( engl ). BirdLife International, European Union, The Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, 2001.
↑ Le Trong Trai, Nguyen Duc Tu et al .: Biodiversity report on the Ba Be / Na Hang Conservation Complex. ( engl ). Hanoi, Vietnam, 2004.

[1] Hill M., Hallam D. et al., 1997.

[opplan-2] Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee and Ba Be National Park: Operational Plan for Ba Be National Park, Bac Kan Province (Period 2001-2005). ( engl ). PARC Project VIE / 95G31 & 031, 2001.

[3] Sourcebook of Existing and Proposed Protected Areas in Vietnam: Ba Be National Park. ( engl ). BirdLife International, European Union, The Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, 2001.

[le_nguyen-4] Le Trong Trai, Nguyen Duc Tu et al .: Biodiversity report on the Ba Be / Na Hang Conservation Complex. ( engl ). Hanoi, Vietnam, 2004.