Abstract

The Đồng Văn Karst Plateau (DVKP), which comprises 4 districts: Quản Bạ, Yên Minh, Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc of the Hà Giang Province, has been long ago well known as a remote, rugged, dangerous and poor mountainous area. It is, however, also famous for its “long lived” “local knowledge” on all kinds of heritage, including geoheritage values. Thanks to the work of many generations of international and national scientists, many more heritage values, especially geological ones, have been discovered, studies and assessed, contributing to the recent set up of a geopark in this area - the optimal way for the rational use of natural resources, environmental protection, nature conservation, poverty reduction and hunger eradication in the area. Many geoheritage concentrations in DVKP Geopark appear to be echoed by many other types of natural and cultural heritages and they are either ”sensed intuitively” or interpreted by local people in their own way, in the form of myths, legends, fairy tales etc.. Such geoheritage concentrations are abounded in the DVKP Geopark, such as: Quản Bạ Valley, Lũng Cú Flagstaff, Mã Pì Lèng Pass and Nho Quế Canyon, Khau Vai -Lũng Pù Love Fair, Sà Phìn - Lũng Táo with Vương Family’s Palace and Đồng Văn Ancient Town etc.. Interpreting scientifically such ”local knowledge” and using ”local knowledge” to convey scientific interpretation of heritage values is probably the best way to raise the awareness of local people and tourists, and so doing, to develop the geopark.