Published:  15:35 Wednesday - November 09, 2016

U Minh Thuong is one of the new attractive destination in Vietnam in 2016. With wild beauty and prominent biodiversity of a special wetland, the U Minh Thuong National Park in Kien Giang Province was recognized as the 2,228th Ramsar site in the world.

U  Minh Thuong National Park is located in An Minh district and Vinh Thuan district, Kien Giang province, 365 kilometers southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. It is situated in an area of freshwater wetlands, comprising peat swamp forest, seasonally inundated grassland and open swamp The soil layer is covered by a layer of peat, 1 to 3 m thick. The core zone of U Minh Thuong National Park is surrounded by perimeter canal and dike system, with a series of gates, which are used to manage the water level. Water is released during the rainy season, but at are other time of the year, water is retained to support production and daily activities of the local communities surrounding the Park.   

U Minh Thuong National Park is also one of the last remnants of climax peat swamp forest in the biographies region, dominated by mixed forests and Melaleuca forests on peat that covers around 3,000 ha ( approximately 37%) of the Park. The site is recognized as one of the three highest priority sites for wetlands conservation in the Mekong Delta. It is home to distinctive flora and  fauna including 32 mammal species, 187 bird species, 34 reptile and amphibian species, 37 fish species and 203 insect species. Many of these are globally threatened, including in the endangered yellow-breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola), yellow-headed temple turtle (Heosemys annadalii), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus). It is also one of the only three sites in the world to know support a population of the endangered hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana). The site regularly hosts more than 20,000 waterbirds. Most of the bird species observed are native and the distribution of eight of these is restricted to the lower Mekong Basin. In addition to, the site is of significant spiritual, historical, archaeological, educational and scientific value. 

U Minh Thuong National Park is a new destination with great potential for sustainable tourism development, providing interesting experiences for those who love nature and wants to explore local unique cultural features. 

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Destination in the Mekong River Delta - U Minh Thuong