Consultation on the Ecotourism, Resort, and Entertainment Project of Bach Ma National Park. Today, on September 15, 2023, in the city of Hue, within the framework of implementing the Technical Assistance Project “Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC)” funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the VFBC Project Management Board of Thua Thien Hue province, in collaboration with the WWF Vietnam, organized a provincial-level consultation meeting on the Ecotourism, Resort, and Entertainment Project of Bach Ma National Park (2023-2030).

The meeting was attended by over 80 delegates from central agencies to local units, some NGOs, tourism businesses, and investors. The meeting heard a presentation on the project and received many valuable opinions for the drafting committee.

Located in the high mountains with a cool climate and abundant rainfall, this area preserves pristine and majestic natural landscapes. Bach Ma National Park was established by the Government in 1991, covering an area of 22,031 hectares with a buffer zone of 21,300 hectares. In 2008, the Prime Minister adjusted and expanded Bach Ma National Park, increasing the total area from over 22,000 hectares to nearly 37,500 hectares.

Bach Ma National Park has mostly high mountain peaks ranging from 1,000-1,444 meters. The vegetation here is well-developed, belonging to the evergreen tropical rainforest type at elevations above 1,000 meters and the tropical rainforest type at elevations below 1,000 meters.

Due to its favorable geographical location, high mountainous terrain, and dense forest vegetation cover, the climate in Bach Ma National Park is relatively stable. The average annual temperature is 16-22°C, the coldest month is 5-8°C, and the hottest month does not exceed 25°C. The average annual rainfall is the highest in Vietnam, ranging from 3,400-4,000 mm/year.

Bach Ma National Park has 16,900 hectares of pristine forest cover. In the forest, there are 1,406 plant species, including many valuable timber species, and over 300 valuable medicinal plant species.

The animal system in Bach Ma includes 931 species, including 83 mammal species, many rare species such as bears, leopards, tigers, and sao la; 333 bird species, 31 reptile species, 21 amphibian species, 39 fish species, 218 butterfly species, 178 species of hard-winged leaf-eating insects, and 28 termite species. Especially, Bach Ma is the habitat of rare birds.

In the past, in 1932, the French built a large resort in Bach Ma at an altitude of 1,000 – 1,444 meters above sea level. The resort included 139 villas, markets, banks, post offices, swimming pools, tennis courts, and a 19km road connecting National Highway 1A to the central area of Bach Ma.

Currently, the ancient villas have been renovated by the National Park Management Board into a resort for tourists.

It is hoped that the detailed Ecotourism, Resort, and Entertainment Project of Bach Ma National Park will contribute effectively to the development of ecotourism in harmony with nature conservation.