The project would help promote the preservation and upgrade of historical and cultural relics, natural surroundings and the fauna of Yen Tu forest, according to the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee.

The committee also said it had assigned relevant agencies to draw out investment plans to support the forest’s transformation.

According to scientists, Yen Tu forest is home to a wide variety of animal and plant species, including 830 kinds of plant, of which 38 have been recognised as valuable and rare such as erythrophloeum fordid, teakwood, textured wood and pedocarpus fleurgi.

Yen Tu also has a rich fauna, of which 23 species have been recorded on Vietnam’s Red book for their scarcity.

Covering an area of over 2,600 ha, of which over 1,700 ha is natural forest, Yen Tu is not only a well-known tourist attraction, but it is also a centre of Vietnam’s Buddhism.