[Quiz] When was the "Asian unicorn" discovered in Vu Quang National Park?

Explain

Vu Quang National Park was established in 2002 under Decision No. 102/2002/QD-TTG dated July 30, 2002 of the Prime Minister on the basis of upgrading from Vu Quang Nature Reserve established in 1994. Vu Quang National Park is known as a leading biodiversity center in Vietnam, where many valuable genetic resources are preserved for conservation work. With its biodiversity values and great role in conservation work, at the end of 2019, Vu Quang National Park was officially recognized as an "ASEAN Heritage Park" with a total area assigned to manage nearly 57,030 hectares, of which special-use forests are more than 52,733 hectares, protection forests are about 3,688 hectares and production forests are nearly 608 hectares.

Explain

Not only having rich natural resources and unique landscapes, Vu Quang National Park is also the place that bears the mark of the Can Vuong uprising against the French by Doctor Phan Dinh Phung, the earliest and largest in Vietnam at the end of the 19th century. The citadel and relics of the patriot and the insurgents have been ranked as national relics, located entirely within the area of the park, and are often remembered and expressed gratitude by the people in the area and people from all over the world whenever they visit. This is also a great potential and advantage for Vu Quang National Park to attract resources, build infrastructure to develop eco-tourism associated with spiritual cultural tourism in the area.

Explain

Covering 76% of the area as primary forest, Vu Quang National Park is preserving up to 1,823 species of higher plants, of which 131 are endangered, at high risk of extinction and need to be prioritized for conservation. In particular, there are up to 686 species of precious medicinal plants and hundreds of species of trees with high economic value such as: po mu, vang tam, three-sided oak... The fauna is also extremely diverse with 94 species of mammals, 58 species of reptiles and amphibians; 631 species of birds and butterflies. In particular, Vu Quang National Park is home to many endangered, rare and endemic species of the Truong Son range such as saola, large-antlered muntjac, brown-shanked douc langur, white-cheeked gibbon, Truong Son striped rabbit, sun bear... Along with that are outstanding landscapes such as Thang Day waterfall, Trai Cua, Da Ban island, Rao Co peak, Rao Rong stream... Saola, with the scientific name Pseodoryx nghetinhensis or also known as "Asian unicorn", is one of the rare animals with a very high risk of extinction in the wild, ranked as endangered in the Red Book of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and in the Red Book of Vietnam. The discovery of the saola in Ha Tinh in 1992 caused a stir because scientists thought that finding a large animal at the end of the 20th century was "unlikely". Since then, in Vietnam, experts have only recorded and seen saola a few times in some forests in the Central region. In November 2020, artist Ngo Xuan Khoi's saola work was chosen as the mascot of the 31st SEA Games held in Vietnam.

Explain

To enter the natural forest area of Vu Quang National Park from the center of the Park, visitors must travel by water through Ngan Truoi Lake. With a flooded area of over 4,000 hectares and 35 independent islands, Ngan Truoi Lake has given Vu Quang National Park a completely new look. This is the largest reservoir in Ha Tinh province and is in the top 3 largest reservoirs in Vietnam after Dau Tieng and Cua Dat lakes, with a capacity of up to 775 million m³ of water. Ngan Truoi Lake belongs to the Ngan Truoi - Cam Trang irrigation system project, providing irrigation water for 32,585 hectares of cultivated land and 6,000 hectares of aquaculture. At the same time, the lake has the task of regulating floods for the downstream area and improving the ecological environment. In addition to irrigation purposes, Ngan Truoi Lake is also a tourist attraction. The clear lake landscape, combined with the presence of many migratory birds, waterfowl and aquatic animals, has created a rich ecosystem and beautiful landscape. From the center of the Park, visitors only need to travel about 3 km to the boat dock to begin their journey of discovery. Tourist activities such as sightseeing and experiencing on the lake are increasingly attracting a large number of visitors to Vu Quang National Park.

Explain

According to the Vu Quang National Park Ecotourism, Resort and Entertainment Project for the period 2025 - 2030 approved by the Chairman of the Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee, by 2030, Vu Quang National Park strives to attract at least 15,000 tourists, of which international visitors account for about 8%. The rate of overnight visitors will reach 30%, with total tourism revenue reaching at least 20 billion VND/year. The project also expects to create regular jobs for about 500 workers, including 100 direct workers and 400 indirect workers, who will be properly trained in ecotourism associated with community livelihoods. The project aims to attract at least 5 investors to cooperate, link and rent forest environments to develop ecotourism.