List of World Heritage Sites in Vietnam


The UNESCO has designated eight World Heritage Sites in Vietnam. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, whereas vii through x are natural.
SiteImageLocation Year listedDescription
Central Sector of Imperial Citadel of Thăng LongHà Nội20101328;,, The royal enclosure was first built during the Lý dynasty and subsequently expanded by the Trần, Lê and finally the Nguyễn dynasty. It remained the seat of the Vietnamese court until 1810, when the Nguyễn dynasty chose to move the capital to Huế. The ruins roughly coincide with the Hanoi Citadel today.
Citadel of the Hồ DynastyThanh Hóa20111358;, is a citadel in Vietnam, constructed by the Hồ Dynasty .
Complex of Huế MonumentsHuế1993678; The Imperial City is a walled enclosure within the citadel of the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.
Hạ Long BayQuảng Ninh1994672;, The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. Ha Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bai Tu Long Bay to the northeast, and Cat Ba Island to the southwest. These larger zones share a similar geological, geographical, geomorphological, climate, and cultural characters.
Hội An Ancient TownQuảng Nam1999948;, Old Town Hội An, the city's historic district, is recognized as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century, its buildings and street plan reflecting a blend of indigenous and foreign influences.
Mỹ Sơn SanctuaryQuảng Nam1999949;, Mỹ Sơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples in Vietnam, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva, known under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara.
Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National ParkQuảng Bình2003951;,, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is noted for its cave and grotto systems as it is composed of 300 caves and grottos. A 2009 survey brought the total discovered length of the cave system to about 126 km with many areas still not well explored.
Tràng An Landscape ComplexNinh Bình20161438;,, Tràng An is a scenic area near Ninh Bình, Vietnam renowned for its boat cave tours. In the Trang An landscape complex, the center of Hoa Lu ancient capital in the north, Tam Coc - Bich Dong tourist area is in the south and Trang An eco-tourism area is in the central position. These three areas are linked together by Hoa Lu special-use forest on limestone mountains and rivers, lakes and swamps.

Tentative list

In addition to the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list., Vietnam recorded seven sites on its tentative list.
SiteImageLocation Year listedDescription
Lào Cai1997959; The site is home to more than 200 old carved stones and megaliths, mainly in Muong Hoa valley.
Ba Bể – Na Hang Natural Heritage AreaTuyên Quang and Bắc Kạn20176262;, The site includes Ba Be National Park, Nam Xuan Lac Nature Reserve, Na Hang Nature Reserve, and Lam Binh Protection Forest.
Cát Tiên National ParkĐồng Nai20065070;,, A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and important wet tropical forest.
Quảng Ninh and Bắc Giang20145940;,,,, The anscestral land of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism in Vietnam. It encompasses Yen Tu, Dong Trieu, and West Yen Tu.
Con Moong CaveThanh Hóa20065072; The site, located within the Cúc Phương National Park, is the central importance for the study of the Mesolithic Hoabinhian culture.
Hạ Long Bay – Cát Bà ArchipelagoQuảng Ninh and Hải Phòng20176177;,,, The Cat Ba archipelago is being proposed as an extension to current Ha Long Bay UNESCO site.
Hương Sơn Complex of Natural Beauty and Historical MonumentsHà Nội1991960; The site is an important ecological zone and cultural zone, with archaeological sites dating back 10,000 years and geologic formations dating back 200 million years.