Despite the public outcry regarding the proposal to build a high-end casino amidst the UNESCO-recognized Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in northern Ha Giang province, some brought up the issue again at a meeting on June 14, and some officials said that the local government will go ahead with the plan, while others maintained that the proposal has been dropped.

Nguyen Le Huy, head of the Dong Van Geopark Management, told VnExpress after a meeting last April that the proposal to build the casino had been dropped as it is quite unfeasible and culturally inappropriate.

However, following the June 14 meeting, some high-ranking local officials confirmed with Tuoi Tre that the construction of the casino and an 18-hole golf course amidst the plateau will go ahead as planned.

According to Ma Ngoc Giang, deputy head of the plateau’s management, compared to the Dong Van plateau’s total area of roughly 2,350 km2, which is divided into four planned zones, the casino, if built, will occupy a small, insubstantial area in the high-end tourism zone, which is the gateway to the plateau and spans Quan Ba district.

“Unlike bioreserves, wildlife sanctuaries and other heritage sites that need to stay intact, the plateau can be both preserved and developed at the same time,” Giang stressed.

He also argued that if they focus on developing the luxury tourism sector, which includes the casino and the golf course, that will help cut the number of lower-income tourists. Unlike wealthy holidaymakers, who wish to relish the serene, fresh environs and local culture, lower-income earners are most likely to do harm to the plateau, if there’s any harm at all.

“As the province has zoned the Quan Ba area as the plateau’s high-end tourism center, deluxe tourist services are indispensable. But people are concerned that the casino may pose some harm to the plateau’s wilderness, pristine nature, and locals’ cultural environs. But I’ve visited several geoparks in the world which even house bustling airports,” Giang added.

“We’ve asked for the central government’s consent for these services, hopefully they will give the nod. Without such services, the plateau will be simply full of karsts and remain unappealing in modern times, just like it was millions of years ago,” said another official.

He added that the boom of such services will certainly bring economic prosperity to the area and improve the lives of the 250,000 poor locals living there.

However, Dam Van Bong, chair of the provincial People’s Committee, confirmed that the proposed casino has been dropped, while the golf course may be built in several years’ time.

“Some did raise the casino issue again at the June 14 meeting, but their opinions weren’t in the majority,” he explained.

The Dong Van karst plateau was recognized by the UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network in 2010 as one of the 77 geological parks in the world and the second in Southeast Asia, after the Langkawi Geopark in Malaysia. It remains the only one of its kind in Vietnam to earn the title so far.

Located on the altitude of 1,000m-1,600m, the plateau is one of the country’s unique limestone areas, which contains significant imprints of the development of the earth's crust. Up to 80% of the plateau’s karst formations are limestone formed by the elements through different natural development stages.

A survey conducted by the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources revealed the finding of 13 fossil - geological formations in the Dong Van plateau, of which Chang Pung is the oldest one which dates back to 545 millions years ago.

Apart from the geological, geomorphologic and scenic values, the plateau also boasts traditional cultural richness with the presence of 17 ethnic minority groups, including Mong, Dao, Lo Lo, Tay and Nung, who have shared their living space with the karst formations of various shapes for many generations.