A powerful real estate developer is attempting to push forward on a massive artificial island project that would bring both villas and a 27-hole golf course to Ha Long Bay.
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The project is the brainchild of the Tuan Chau Group, which wants to pour 20 million cubic meters of soil into the UNESCO World Heritage Site to build a massive 400 hectare island, adorned with 3 flower-shaped villas, reports Vietnam Net.
Approval of the proposed “Tuan Chau Island” hinges on the developer’s ability to have it added to Ha Long Bay’s master plan on conservation and development. Any changes to the plan would require consulting UNESCO’s Heritage Center in Paris which would likely voice its disapproval as the organization has repeatedly said that such schemes would affect the value of Ha Long Bay.
Renowned architect, Dao Ngoc Nghiem, strongly opposed the development. “No one would build golf courses on the heritage area,” he said, calling it a “deplorable idea.”
A source told the newspaper that even though similar plans submitted by the developer had been rejected in the past, it remains vigilant in its quest to develop the Bay.
[Vietnam Net // Photo via Lawrence Murray]
