Vietnam

Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hué was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. The Perfume River winds its way through the Capital City, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner City, giving this unique feudal capital a setting of great natural beauty.

Covering an area of 65,650 ha and including 1,133 islands and islets, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is located in the Northeast of Viet Nam, within Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City. Comprised of a multitude of limestone islands of islets rising from the sea, in a variety of sizes and shapes and presenting picturesque, unspoiled nature, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is a spectacular seascape sculpted by nature. As the most extensive and best known example of marine - invaded tower karst, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is one of the world’s mots important areas of fengcong (clusters of conical peaks) and fenglin (isolated tower features) karst. Additionally, the exceptionally beautiful landscape is also dominated by the typical ecosystems.

Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.

This transboundary property, located along the border between Viet Nam and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, forms one of the most exceptional and well-preserved limestone karst landscapes in the world. The karst formations in this area began developing around 400 million years ago during the Palaeozoic era, making it the oldest large-scale karst system in Asia. It features dramatic cliffs, deep sinkholes, and a vast network of underground rivers. Over 220 kilometres of caves and subterranean waterways have been documented, many of which are globally significant for their size, beauty, and scientific value. This ancient terrain supports a remarkable diversity of ecosystems, ranging from high-altitude dry karst forests to dense, moist lowland forests, which are home to many rare and unique plant and animal species, including many that are rare, endangered, or endemic to the region. The biodiversity in this region is not only remarkable but also plays a crucial role in global conservation efforts.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly Viet Dynasty, marking the independence of the Dai Viet. It was constructed on the remains of a Chinese fortress dating from the 7th century, on drained land reclaimed from the Red River Delta in Hanoi. It was the centre of regional political power for almost 13 centuries without interruption. The Imperial Citadel buildings and the remains in the 18 Hoang Dieu Archaeological Site reflect a unique South-East Asian culture specific to the lower Red River Valley, at the crossroads between influences coming from China in the north and the ancient Kingdom of Champa in the south.

The 14th -century Ho Dynasty citadel, built according to the feng shui principles, testifies to the flowering of neo-Confucianism in late 14th century Viet Nam and its spread to other parts of east Asia. According to these principles it was sited in a landscape of great scenic beauty on an axis joining the Tuong Son and Don Son mountains in a plain between the Ma and Buoi rivers. The citadel buildings represent an outstanding example of a new style of south-east Asian imperial city.

Situated near the southern margin of the Red River Delta, the Trang An Landscape Complex is a spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks permeated with valleys, many of them partly submerged and surrounded by steep, almost vertical cliffs. Exploration of caves at different altitudes has revealed archaeological traces of human activity over a continuous period of more than 30,000 years. They illustrate the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the landscape by the sea after the last ice age. The story of human occupation continues through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the historical era. Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Viet Nam, was strategically established here in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. The property also contains temples, pagodas, paddy-fields and small villages.

The property comprises 12 sites across forested mountains, lowlands, and river valleys. Centred on the Yen Tu Mountain Range, it was home to the Tran Dynasty during the 13th and 14th centuries and the birthplace of Truc Lam Buddhism, a uniquely Vietnamese Zen tradition that shaped the Dai Viet kingdom. The complex includes pagodas, temples, shrines, and archaeological remains tied to religious and historical figures. Strategically located in geologically favourable settings, it remains a vibrant pilgrimage destination.