Overview

Cat Ba National Park is a special-use forest of Vietnam and a recognized World Biosphere Reserve. It is managed by the People’s Committee of Hai Phong City, with its headquarters located in Cat Hai District, Hai Phong.

Cat Ba National Park is situated on Cat Ba Island – the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago. Its geographical location is as follows:

  • About 45 km east of Hai Phong City
  • About 25 km south of Ha Long City
  • About 150 km southeast of Hanoi
  • Geographical coordinates:
    • From 20°44’ to 20°52’ N latitude
    • From 106°59’ to 107°06’ E longitude

Cat Ba serves as the eastern gateway of Hai Phong City and is also a center of biodiversity, geological interest, natural landscapes, and tourism in the region.

  • Geographical Boundaries

    • To the East and Northeast: Bordered by Ha Long Bay, separated by Ngăn Inlet and Dau Xuoi Inlet (belonging to Quang Ninh Province)
    • To the West and Southwest: Bordered by the Bach Dang River, Cam River, and the Hai Phong – Do Son beach
    • To the East and Southeast: Bordered by Lan Ha Bay

  • Administrative Information and Area

    • Cat Ba National Park was established under Decision No. 79/CP dated March 31, 1986 by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now the Prime Minister of Vietnam).
    • The park initially covered an area of 15,200 hectares, spanning the communes of Gia Luan, Phu Long, Hien Hao, Xuan Dam, Tran Chau, Viet Hai, and Cat Ba Town.
    • Its current total natural area is 17,362.96 hectares, including: 10,912.51 hectares of forested mountains; 6,450.65 hectares of marine area

Natural Conditions

Topography

The entire Cat Ba National Park consists of rugged mountainous terrain, with elevations below 500 meters, most of which range between 50–200 meters. The landscape is primarily composed of limestone mountains, interspersed with numerous narrow valleys that stretch in a northeast–southwest direction.

Geology

The island’s bedrock is mainly limestone, forming a typical karst topography, which holds significant geomorphological and ecological value.

Soil

Cat Ba National Park features five main soil groups:

  • Soil group on limestone mountains:

    Weathered soils with reddish-brown or yellowish-brown color, developed on limestone and sandstone. The soil layer is over 50 cm thick, with a pH ranging from 6.5 to 7. These soils are scattered beneath forest canopies.

  • Feralite hill soil group:
    Yellowish-brown or light brown soils, developed from the weathering products of slightly acidic or neutral limestone. Some soil types are grayish-white or yellow-brown, formed on acidic clay schist in bare hill areas, with thin layers, high rock content, and poor structure.

  • Dry valley soil group:
    Developed on limestone or limestone products, concentrated in valleys covered by natural forests.

  • Flooded valley soil group:
    Formed through alluvial accumulation. During the rainy season, these areas are often flooded. The topsoil layer is thin to moderately thick.

  • Alluvial-mangrove soil group:
    Developed in estuarine areas such as Cai Vieng and Phu Long. Formed from sedimentary deposits in mangrove tidal zones.

Biodiversity

Cat Ba National Park is an exceptionally unique park within Vietnam’s national park system, being the first in the country to encompass both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. It also serves as the core area of the Cat Ba Archipelago World Biosphere Reserve and has been designated a Special National Relic and Scenic Site.

Cat Ba is a representative model of tropical and subtropical marine-island ecosystems in Asia, comprising:

  • Primary tropical rainforest ecosystems on limestone islands
  • Mangrove forest ecosystems
  • Coral reef ecosystems
  • Tidal flat ecosystems
  • Cave ecosystems
  • Saltwater lake, bay, lagoon, and karst sinkhole ecosystems (locally known as tùng, áng)

These ecosystems are interconnected and interwoven, creating a diverse landscape and a rich habitat for wildlife. Notably, Cat Ba is the only place in the world where small populations of the critically endangered Cat Ba Langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) still survive in the wild.

Plants

The forest here has one main type, the evergreen tropical rainforest, but due to the terrain, soil and water regime, there are several sub-types of forest: forests on limestone mountains, mangrove forests along the island, and freshwater flooded forests on the mountains. The forest here also has many unique forest ecosystems such as the Kim giao complex (near Ngu Lam peak); Don Uu Va Nuoc (Ao Ech area).

  • Diversity of plant species composition: There are 1,595 species, belonging to 853 genera, 188 families, and 5 phyla of vascular plants recorded in Cat Ba National Park. In particular, 10 plant species have been added to the flora list in Cat Ba National Park.
  • Conservation status: There are 70 plant species ranked, evaluated and listed in SDVN, IUCN, ND06.

Fauna

Cat Ba Langur (Golden-headed Langur) is an endemic species found only in Cat Ba. Similar to the black gibbon, the fur on its head is white-yellow. In the past, when going by boat along the island, you could see flocks of Langurs swinging on the cliffs. This species has been listed in the Vietnam Red Book and the IUCN Red List.

  • Species diversity:
    • Mammals: There are 63 species of mammals belonging to 44 genera, 20 families; adding 05 species to the list;
    • Birds: There are 209 species of birds belonging to 132 genera, 51 families; adding 04 species to the list;
    • Reptiles: There are 58 species of reptiles belonging to 46 genera, 14 families; adding 03 species to the list;
    • Amphibians: There are 27 species belonging to 15 genera, 07 families; adding 01 species to the list;
  • Conservation status: There are 16 mammal species; 26 bird species; 13 reptile species; 03 amphibian species classified as threatened and listed in SDVN, IUCN, CITES, Decree 06, Decree 64.
Cát Bà nơi sinh sống của loài linh trưởng đặc hữu

Marine Fauna

Cat Ba National Park is also home to an incredibly rich and diverse marine ecosystem. One of the rare species of Cat Ba is the Greater Dolphin and the Lesser Dolphin.