Vườn quốc gia Ba Bể

Ba Be National Park's General Information

Ba Be, a sprawling expanse covering 10,048 hectares, earned its status as a National Park in 1992 and later secured its place as an ASEAN Heritage Park. Enshrined within the park's heart, Ba Be Lake comprises three smaller lakes orignally "slam pe" in the local Tay language. The three lakes - Pe Leng, Pe Lu and Pe Lam - are indeed three sections of the same water body.  Ba Be Lake is Vietnam's third Ramsar site as listed by UNESCO, elevating its status as a vital global wetland. Nestled at 145 meters above sea level, with an average depth of 20 to 25 meters and a maximum depth of 35 meters, Ba Be Lake reigns as Vietnam’s largest tectonic lake created by the collapse of the late Cambrian karst formation. The majestic karst limestone massif harbors captivating caves within their depths.

Status: National park in 1992
Area: 10,048 hectares
Location: Bac Kan Province

Ba Be National Park's Habitat Types:

Freshwater lake, limestone surrounding with lowland evergreen forests.

Ba Be National Park's Unique Flora:

Ba Be NP is home to more than a thousand plant species present in Ba Be with a number of species registered on the Red List of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Many scientists believe that the national park also has most diverse orchid species in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Indeed, among the 182 genera of orchids recorded in the park, some endemic species are only found in Ba Be.

Ba Be National Park's Fauna:

The fauna of Ba Be National Park is just as rich and varied as the flora with more than 80 species of mammals, 27 reptiles, 17 amphibians, 322 birds, 106 fish, and 553 insects and animals, many species are on the IUCN Red List. The most important mammal species for conservation are Francois’ langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) and Owston’s banded civet (Hemigulus ownstoni), European otter, Asian black bear, short-tailed pangolin and the pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus). In terms of aquatic fauna, Ba Be lake and rivers are home to 106 species of fish and home to endemic species such as the Vietnamese Salamander (Paramesotriton deloustali). The endangered species includes Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). The site is recognised as an Important Bird Area, supporting more than 1% threshold population of the endangered White-eared Night Heron (Gorsachius magnificus), a species which also has a very restricted habitat range.

Ba Be National Park's Ethnic groups:

Viet, Tay, Dao and H'mong ethnic minority communities constitute the majority of the scattered villages in and around Ba Be National Park. These small hamlets range from just a cluster of just a few stilt houses to larger communities. Both men and women wear clothes made of hand-woven cotton, dyed with indigo. Women wear high collared, waist- or knee-length shirts buttoned on the right side.  The Tay have developed a rich culture of poems, songs, epics, tales, funny stories, and dance. Popular folk singing genres of the Tay are call-and-response singing, lullaby, Then, and wedding and funeral singing. Then is sung at events such as worshiping at the ancestral altar, praying for sick people, praying for a couple to have children, at family get-togethers, to welcome guests, and at a “going to the field” festival held in the first month of the new year. Then is an indispensable part of the spiritual and religious life of the Tay.

Cultural Highlight

Interesting features in the park include waterfalls and ponds.  Visitors can take boat tours, trek through valleys, forests and caves, and visit local villages.