HA NOI — A ceremony to announce Ha Long Bay's status as one the world's seven new wonders of nature will be held in Ha Noi on April 27 and in Quang Ninh province on May 1.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the ceremony will be attended by ambassadors from the countries containing the world's six other new wonders.

Also on the list are the Amazon in South America, Iguazu Falls of Argentina and Brazil, Jeju Island of South Korea, Komodo National Park of Indonesia, Puerto Princesa Underground River of the Philippines, and Table Mountain of South Africa.

Ha Long Bay has been recognised twice as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, notable for its breathtaking landscape and geological interest.

The 1,553-sq.km bay is dotted with 1,969 islands, which collectively offer an exquisite example of karst formation in tropical and humid conditions. The long evolution and erosion of the bay has produced pyramid-shaped karst towers that give the bay its unique beauty.

One distinctive feature of Ha Long Bay is its abundant cave system formed between 11,000 and 2 million years ago.

The bay is a temperate ecosystem suitable for many species of marine animals, in addition to its great cultural and historical value.— VNS