91�鶹������Ʒ����

Earlier this year, researchers uncovered something unexpected in a coal mine in northern Viet Nam: a fossilized crocodile jawbone still gripping the remains of its last meal.

Found alongside dozens of fossilized crocodile droppings and fragments of bone and skin, the discovery in Lang Son’s Na Duong basin offers a rare glimpse into the ancient swampy world that once covered the region—dating back 41 to 33 million years.

That rich paleontological archive is just one of the reasons Lang Son was added this week to the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, joining 15 other new sites in countries including Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. recognizes landscapes of international geological significance and brings the network’s total to 229 geoparks across 50 countries. In addition to protecting natural heritage, these sites serve as outdoor classrooms and cultural centers, encouraging local communities to preserve both ecosystems and traditions.

‘Lang Son is a textbook example of how geology, biodiversity and cultural traditions come together to tell the story of our planet—and of the people who call it home,’ said Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam.

The site’s geological diversity stretches as far back as 500 million years, and its new status is expected to support sustainable tourism, scientific research, and cultural preservation. Here are five things to know:

Much of Lang Son’s distinctive landscape—its sheer limestone cliffs, jagged peaks, and underground caves—formed over hundreds of millions of years when the area lay beneath a shallow tropical sea. The oldest rocks here contain the fossilized remains of trilobites (armored sea creatures that predate dinosaurs) and graptolites, strange colonial sea animals that looked like underwater brush strokes.

When tectonic shifts pushed the seabed upward, the resulting mountain ranges became a defining feature of northern Viet Nam.

One of the geopark’s crown jewels is the Na Duong basin, a natural depression that preserves an exceptional fossil record from around 40 to 20 million years ago. Among the most striking recent finds: a crocodile jaw still clutching prey, fossilized feces from at least two distinct crocodilian species, and the remains of tapirs, turtles, and early deer.

This period—spanning the late Eocene to early Oligocene—was a turning point in mammalian evolution. Lang Son’s fossils include ancient mammals like anthracotheres, hoofed, semi-aquatic ancestors of modern hippos. These specimens are helping scientists trace how species migrated and adapted across Asia.

Lang Son isn’t just a geological archive—it’s also an archaeological one. The Bac Son limestone massif has yielded stone tools, burial sites, and ceramic fragments tied to some of Viet Nam’s earliest known human settlements. These traces of prehistoric life have given rise to the term ‘Bacsonian culture,’ named after this region.

Lang Son’s cultural life remains vibrant today, shaped by the region’s diverse ethnic groups including the Kinh, Nung, Tay and Dao peoples. These communities uphold a range of customs, from colorful textile weaving to spiritual practices like Đạo Mẫu, the worship of Mother Goddesses.

Two traditions practiced in the geopark—Then singing and the playing of the Đàn Tính gourd lute—have been recognized by UNESCO as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

‘This designation makes Vietnamese proud—not only because of the diversity and richness in its unique geological value, but because it honors the deep connection between people, land, and traditions,’ said Lan Huong Tran, National Professional Officer for Natural Science at the UNESCO Office in Hanoi.