Nestled within the Lang Son UNESCO Global Geopark, Huu Lien commune has reinvented itself, from a remote and agriculture-dependent area framed by rugged limestone terrain into a fast-rising tourism hub where ethnic communities are seeing steady gains in income and living standards without compromising the environment.

The Global Geoparks Network (GGN) honoured Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago as one of the 100 world geological heritage sites for the second time at a ceremony to mark its 20th anniversary in the northern province of Cao Bang on September 11.

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has recognised Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago in the northern province of Quang Ninh and neighbouring Hai Phong City as a world geological heritage site.

Establishing geoparks and developing geotourism are the most effective measures to protect and preserve geological heritage, said an insider.