The entire area of Vu Yen Island, off the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong, will become an ecotourism, entertainment and villa complex under a megaproject worth VND19 trillion (US$872.76 million).

The Vu Yen eco-park project broke ground on the island on Sunday, as witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and representatives from the developer, giant realty conglomerate Vingroup.

The 870-hectare project spans the entire Vu Yen Island, where three rivers, Cam, Ruot Lon and Bach Dang, meet.

The complex is planned in accordance with the ecotourism model, consisting of an international-level 36-hole golf course, eco-villas, an entertainment-shopping-cuisine complex, and an eco-park, said Vingroup deputy chairman Nguyen Viet Quang.

A 1.5km cable car system will connect the ecotourism hub with the mainland of Hai Phong, around 100km east of Hanoi.

The golf course is expected to lure luxury tourists to Vu Yen, whereas the eco-park is zoned in a bid to maintain the ecosystem and environment on the island.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place nearly two weeks after the project was green-lighted by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on June 30.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Hai underlined the scale and importance of the project, saying it will generate many jobs for local residents, while greatly contributing to the city’s tourism development.

The Vu Yen project is scheduled for completion in 2020.

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