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HÀ GIANG 23°Told by a local
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Boats on the green river between steep canyon walls

Stories & Updates

The Dong Van Karst Plateau: what a UNESCO Global Geopark means for your trip

· Ha Giang 23

Photo: Hoang Anh / Unsplash · Unsplash License

Short answer: the grey stone landscape you ride through between Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac is the Dong Van Karst Plateau, recognised in 2010 as Vietnam’s first global geopark (today a UNESCO Global Geopark). It covers about 2,356 km² of mostly limestone mountains, and it is also home to 17 ethnic groups. It is not a fenced park: it is a lived-in landscape, with no single entrance or ticket.

What a geopark is

A UNESCO Global Geopark is an area whose geology is of international importance and which is managed for protection, education and sustainable development at the same time. Unlike a national park, people live and farm inside it. The title is reviewed by UNESCO every four years; Dong Van has kept it through several reviews, and a further re-evaluation was being prepared in 2026.

What you will see

  • Limestone everywhere. Around 80% of the plateau is limestone, formed from seabeds hundreds of millions of years old. Local reports describe the plateau as holding more than 500 million years of Earth history, with fossils in the rock.
  • Stone and soil, side by side. On the high plateau, families plant corn in pockets of soil between the rocks and build walls and houses from the stone around them. Look for stone fences around houses near Sa Phin and Dong Van old quarter.
  • Deep gorges. The most dramatic view is the Nho Que river cutting through the plateau below the Ma Pi Leng pass.
  • Mountain roads. Climbs such as the Tham Ma slope exist because the road has to find a way up and down this terrain.

How to travel it well

  • Give it time. The plateau is best seen slowly, with stops; four days is the minimum we suggest (see the classic 4-day itinerary).
  • Use licensed services. In 2026 local authorities announced a crackdown on unlicensed motorbike taxis and improvised “check-in” points along the route. Book drivers and easy riders through registered businesses or your homestay.
  • Leave the stones where they are. Stone walls are part of people’s homes and fields, not props. Don’t climb them, and don’t take rocks or fossils.
  • Ask before photographing people, and keep to paths in fields. See our Visitor Pledge.

Sources