Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has warned the administration of the northern province of Ha Giang that two under-construction tourism projects in one of its famous tourist districts have failed to follow state planning.

The tourism ministry said in a document sent to the People’s Committee of Ha Giang on Friday that a complex of religious structures in Lung Cu Commune and an outdoor elevator for sightseeing at Don Cao Fortress, both of which are being built in Ha Giang's Dong Van District, have disregarded government-approved planning for the area.

Lung Cu Commune is home to the Lung Cu National Flag Tower, a northern landmark which marks Vietnam’s national sovereignty, while Don Cao Fortress is a historical monument built by the French in the early 20th century to serve as a military camp at an elevation of about 1,200 meters above sea level.

Both attractions lie within Dong Van Karst Plateau, which has been recognized as member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network since 2010.

Lung Cu National Flag Tower is seen in Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam, with the construction site of a religious tourism project spotted afar in this photo taken on October 20, 2019. Photo: Huu Thang / Tuoi Tre

In 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a tourism development master plan for Dong Van Karst Plateau to become a national tourism site until 2025, with a vision towards 2030.

Under the plan, the plateau will be divided into different zones, focusing on preserving geological heritage, conserving natural landscapes and biodiversity, developing natural resources, producing materials for agriculture, forestry and pharmaceuticals sectors, and developing urban areas and tourist activities.

Not only have the two projects to develop the religious complex and sightseeing elevator failed to follow this master plan, they have also ‘ignored’ two previous feedback documents sent by the tourism ministry in April and June 2018.

Therefore, the ministry has this time requested the People’s Committee of Ha Giang to order relevant agencies to launch a comprehensive inspection into these two projects.

An outdoor elevator for sightseeing is under construction at Don Cao Fortress in Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A religious tourism project is under construction in Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam in this photo taken on October 20, 2019. Photo: Huu Thang / Tuoi Tre

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