The Ambassador Signature cruise of Asia Premier Cruises Corporation takes visitors on the Ha Long Bay 6 – Lan Ha Bay route.

UNESCO's recognition of the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago World Natural Heritage Site has created new opportunities to develop inter-regional heritage tourism. A major milestone came on April 20, when cruise routes linking Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh with Lan Ha Bay in Hai Phong officially began operation. These routes have opened up a unique cross-regional heritage journey, enabling visitors to seamlessly explore the beauty of the two renowned bays. Under a cooperation framework between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, authorities have approved four routes connecting tourism itineraries in Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. All are overnight cruise routes, allowing visitors more time to immerse themselves in the area's spectacular scenery, cultural heritage and distinctive maritime way of life.

Visitors explore the Yen Tu Complex of Monuments and Landscapes.

Beyond the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago World Natural Heritage Site, the recognition of the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes as a World Cultural Heritage Site in July 2025 has further expanded opportunities to connect natural, cultural and spiritual heritage across Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh provinces. Since then, inter-regional heritage cooperation has been put into practice through a range of concrete programmes and initiatives.

Tourism associations from Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh have agreed to implement the programme “One Journey – Three Heritage Destinations”. In addition to joint promotion activities and the development of high-quality tourism tours, the three localities are strengthening workforce training, sharing market information, stimulating tourism demand and proposing more flexible management mechanisms to support inter-regional tourism development.

Visitors learn about the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda woodblocks at the exhibition “Millennial Heritage of Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac”, jointly organized by Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh provinces.

Alongside strengthening domestic heritage connections, Quang Ninh has proactively developed plans to expand multilateral heritage cooperation within the region. One notable example is the cooperation programme established in 2006 between Quang Ninh (Vietnam), Luang Prabang (Laos) and Udon Thani (Thailand). Home to outstanding global heritage assets, the three localities have formed an attractive “heritage triangle”.

As heritage links continue to grow stronger, natural and cultural heritage sites are no longer viewed as isolated assets but as integral components of a unified heritage ecosystem that supports and enriches one another. This not only enhances the value of tourism development but also helps promote distinctive cultural values more widely, further strengthening Quang Ninh's position as one of the leading tourism, cultural and heritage destinations in Vietnam and the region.

By Duy Khoa