Under the planning, the complex will sprawl over 12,252ha in the districts of Hoa Lu, Gia Vien, Nho Quan, Ninh Binh city and Tam Diep township. Construction is allowed in the 6,000ha surrounding buffer area which sits on parts of 20 local communes and precincts and is divided into the following: Bai Dinh in the west - a spiritual tourism destination and new university and urban area; Truong Yen-Ninh Hoa - gateway to the north; Ninh Nhat-Ninh Tien - gateway to the east; and Ninh Thang-Ninh Hai - gateway to the south, with rural residential areas and tourism services.

The Trang An Complex was recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural and Natural World Heritage Site in 2014.

In UNESCO's words, "Trang An is a resplendent complex of limestone karst peaks which are permeated with valleys, including submerged ones, and surrounded by steep, almost vertical cliffs," nestling on the southern shore of the Red River Delta.

Archaeological traces of human activity dating back thousands of years have been found within the complex.

The Trang An Complex boasts several nationally recognised sites like the Trang An ecotourism site and Hoa Lu, Vietnam's capital in the 10th and 11th centuries.

The area also has many other temples, pagodas, paddy fields, villages and other sacred sites.

It is home to around 500 flora species, 73 species of birds and 41 species of other animals and has a diverse ecosystem with unique geological characteristics.