Specifically, according to the electronic portal of Tuong Duong district (Nghe An province), the district has a total natural area of 2,811 km2, which is the largest district-level administrative unit in the country.
Tuong Duong is one of four mountainous districts of Nghe An province, with 18 communes and towns; its economy mainly focuses on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and industry.
In the North and Northwest, the district borders Laos and Que Phong district; in the South and Southwest, it borders Laos; in the East and Northeast, it borders Con Cuong district; and in the West, it borders Ky Son district. Tuong Duong has a border length of nearly 58 km with Laos.
The terrain in Tuong Duong is very rugged, with many high mountains creating many narrow valleys. The hills and mountains are sharply cut by three main rivers (Nam Non, Nam Mo, Ca) and many small and large streams, creating many gradually rising wave-like layers. The natural resources of the locality are relatively abundant and diverse, but the reserves are not large.
According to Tuong Duong’s electronic portal, Tuong Duong is the source of the Ca River, located in the largest biosphere reserve in Southeast Asia, with a dense system of rivers and streams. Currently, Tuong Duong is a destination for medium-sized and small hydropower projects. The district has had four hydropower projects started construction such as Ban Ve Hydropower (320 MW), Khe Bo (100 MW), Yen Thang, Xong Con (10 MW).
In fact, not only water resources but also Tuong Duong’s forest resources are quite diverse and abundant. Occupying over 17% of the area and 24.28% of the forest reserves of Nghe An province, Tuong Duong’s forests are rich in species, from tropical coniferous forests to mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, and closed forests with hundreds of tree species.
Tuong Duong district also has some minerals such as Hoi Nguyen gold, Khe Bo coal (with brown coal and long-lasting fire). In addition, Tuong Duong has many types of rocks, especially limestone distributed everywhere and Granite in Luu Kien commune.
Tuong Duong has a lot of potential for tourism development. Specifically, Tuong Duong has very attractive natural landscapes with the poetic Nam Non and Nam Mo streams, which are associated with many legends; Pu Mat National Park with virgin forests in Tam Dinh commune, which is a point located in the Western Nghe An biosphere reserve.
In addition, Tuong Duong district has many historical relics, such as Cua Rao temple (Xa Luong commune), Ly Nhat Quang temple, Tham Cong cave (Tam Quang commune), and cave systems in Xien Lam village (Huu Khuong commune).
In 2022, Tuong Duong welcomed approximately 10,000 visitors, generating total revenue of over 8 billion dong. Many eco-tourism service models and community initiatives have been established and developed, bringing economic benefits to the local population, such as the Tam Quang eco-tourism area (Nậm Xán eco-tourism area) – Tam Đình (sang le forest, Cớ stream, Quang Phúc) – Vạn temple, Ngậu stream, Xá Lượng commune – Nha Vang waterfall, Nhôn Mai commune – sang le forest, Coọc waterfalls, Yên Hòa commune…
Source: Vietnam Insider