Incheon Metropolitan City (South Korea), a friendship city with Hai Phong, has been known for not only its developed economic status, modern facilities, developed applicable science-tech industries, transforming policies to neutral CO2, but also fascinating tourist sea spots, creational activities associated with the sea, and Baengnyeong Island’s wetlands.
A corner caught by photography at the Northern East of Baengnyeong Island.
Photo source: Park Si-soo[1].
Baengnyeong Island covers an area of more than 45 square kilometer, it is located at Ongjin under administrative management of Incheon Metropolitan City (South Korea). Surrounded by crystal clear blue seawater, beauty of Baengnyeong Island has been compared with one of Corsica Island of France. As an attractive spot to Korean tourists, Baengnyeong Island has owned itself tranquility and peaceful scenery with various floating islets.
Black-head spoonbills – one of 200,000 migratory birds to the wetlands on Baengnyeong Island. Photo source: Foreign Affairs Division of Incheon.
Grounded on natural features of Baengnyeong Island’s wetlands, a documentary on “Migratory birds and wetlands of Baengnyeong Island” was made and published to advert to the public Baengnyeong Island’s important ecosystem with migratory birds and wetlands on Baengnyeong Island. That also shows current attempts of Incheon Metropolitan City and its relevant partners in protection of migratory birds during their skyway by season, and enhancement of public awareness on ecological diversity, respect, live harmonizing and protect marine ecological environment.
Located in tropical region, owning an area of 12-ha wetland, Vietnam has had not only big internal wetlands with system of rivers and streams carrying various endemic flora and fauna, but also coastal wetlands such as mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs where have been home of many migratory birds. In Vietnam, there has 09 wetlands recognized internationally, including Xuan Thuy National Park (in Nam Dinh Province), Bau Sau Wetland of Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai Province), Ba Be Lake (Bac Can Province), Tram Chim National Park (Dong Thap Province), Mui Ca Mau National Park (Ca Mau Province), Con Dao National Park (Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province), Lang Sen Wetland Reserved Area Van Long (Ninh Binh Province), U Minh Thuong National Park (Kien Giang Province), Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve (Ninh Binh Province)[2]. It is undeniable that wetlands are beneficial for not only the environment but also human livelihoods. Wetlands help anti soil erosion, eliminate flood, windbreak storm, circulate climate; mangrove ecosystem and coral reefs support coastal area protection. As a coastal city at the Northern area of Vietnam, owning a long seashore and key economic activities attached to the sea, Hai Phong has had coastal protection mangrove forest; however, due to manufacturing activities, the latter has suffered impacts.
Back to the wetlands of Incheon’s Baengnyeong island, protect such nature features of that ecosystem has been contributing to eco-tourism development of the city; being a destination for the public’s visits to understand more about such specific ecological features of that land, migratory birds, and to be more conscious about environment protection. That is also a way of non-smoke industry development in the harmony with nature and living atmosphere protection.
The friendship relation between Hai Phong and Incheon was born in the 1990s of the 21st century. In recent years, cooperation activities between the two cities have been taking place in the fields of economy, health, and education. The both cities have been connected by direct flights that have facilitated citizens’ commute between the two cities, strengthening investment and trade activities, going align with expectation of cooperation in the sake of tourism development of the two cities ongoing time. Baengnyeong island of Incheon and Cat Ba archipelago of Hai Phong would be explored as charming destinations to the both cities’ and neighboring provinces and cities’ residents. Measures for operation and conservation of the wetlands on Baengnyeong Island will be also considered to draw lessons learned on practical management, sustainable tourism combined with protection and conservation of the ecological environment.
Visual and audio documentary in Korean language on “Migratory birds and wetlands of Baengnyeong Island” (Vietnamese subtitle attached on screen) is linked below:
https://www.eaaflyway.net/migratory-birds-and-wetlands-of-baengnyeong-island-video/
[1]https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2020/01/135_85661.html