Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay has recently been listed among the 48 most striking World Heritage Sites by MSN news site, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said Tuesday on its website.

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Ha Long Bay ranked 41st out of the 48 most stunning World Heritage Sites and was described by MSN as “a popular destination in Vietnam's Quảng Ninh Province.”

“It includes some 1,600 islands and islets, most of which are limestone. This exceptionally beautiful and appealing site was designated a World Heritage Site in 1994,” MSN praised the beauty of the famous Vietnamese tourism destination.

The three most beautiful natural heritage sites in the world as voted by MSN included the Rideau Canal in Canada, Victoria Waterfalls in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and Iguazú National Park in Argentina.

Ha Long Bay has won a host of awards and honors, including the World Heritage Site title given by UNESCO in 1994 and 2000.

More than 980 islands there have been given names. Most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by humans.

Besides the UNESCO recognition, the bay has also received other titles and is among the most popular travel destinations in Vietnam.

In February 2014, it was featured as one of the Top 10 Valentine’s Day Retreats, among other romantic destinations around the world, in National Geographic’s book “Four Seasons of Travel” and was described as “a vision of astonishing beauty.”

On June 5, Ha Long Bay ranked fourth among the top eight green spaces and national parks with an average mark of 4.23 out of 5, graded by world-renowned hotel booking website Agoda.com.

In July 2013, the Vietnamese bay was also listed among the world's 10 most dramatic coastlines by well-known American online news site The Huffington Post.

It was also selected as a natural wonder of the world in the New 7 Wonders poll in 2012.

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