(VOV) -A ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Ha Long Bay’s recognition as a World Natural Heritage Site was held in Quang Ninh province on Saturday.

In her opening speech, Vu Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Chairperson of the provincial People's Committee stressed that over past 20 years, the heritage’s natural value has been preserved and promoted attracting a large number of tourists:“In the near future, Quang Ninh will continue promoting international cooperation to enlist the support of foreign communities and organizations to promote Ha Long Bay’s heritage value. We will increase investment in conservation activities, protecting the ecological environment, and boosting communications to promote Ha Long Bay as a leading tourist destination in Vietnam and the world”.

On December 17, 1994, UNESCO designated Ha Long Bay as a World Heritage Site of globally outstanding value in terms of natural landscape. The recognition was extended in 2000, and one year later, Ha Long Bay outranked 261 other landscapes around the globe to become one of the seven new natural wonders of the world.