Photo courtesy of VN Express

 

A tourist from Ha Long has returned 14 kilograms of pebbles taken from Mong Rong Beach on Co To Island in northern Vietnam, accompanied by a handwritten apology. Nguyen Hai Linh, head of the Co To Department of Culture and Information, confirmed the receipt of the package from Vu Nguyen on November 17. The returned parcel included pebbles of various sizes, a letter, and VND100,000 for shipping costs.

 

In the apology letter, the tourist explained collecting the pebbles from Mong Rong Beach between 2015 and 2018 due to their beauty. The decision to return them came after learning about marine conservation and understanding the impact of their removal. Linh highlighted this case as the first voluntary return of natural artifacts in many years, underscoring a growing awareness toward responsible tourism.

 

Linh praised the act, stating it exemplifies improving responsibility among tourists. He assured that the stones would be returned to their original location on the beach. The department also reminded visitors against taking rocks, corals, or marine life as souvenirs, emphasizing the potential damage to geological formations and ecosystems.

 

Mong Rong Rock Beach is renowned for its distinctive layered sedimentary rocks formed over thousands of years. Vietnam’s Cultural Heritage Law and local conservation rules strictly prohibit the removal or displacement of such natural formations. Similar issues have been observed worldwide, with severe consequences for violators.

 

In a related incident in 2019, a French couple was arrested in Italy for attempting to remove 40 kilograms of white sand from a Sardinian beach, facing potential imprisonment. Linh emphasized that rock beaches and coral reefs serve as natural "breakwaters," crucial for slowing water flow, preventing erosion, and providing marine habitats. Removing significant quantities can severely damage these ecosystems, reported VN Express.

 

Key Takeaways

• A tourist returned 14 kg of pebbles from Vietnam’s Mong Rong Beach after a decade.
• This act marks the first voluntary return of natural artifacts in years.
• Removing geological formations can harm ecosystems, as seen in global incidents.

 

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now from VN Express 2025-11-18

 

 

 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

collecting the pebbles from Mong Rong Beach between 2015 and 2018 due to their beauty

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😄

17 hours ago, FlorC said:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😄

Yes, I would have taken better looking rocks.   

Somewhat off topic.   I printed latitude, longitude and date on some rocks that I collected.   A year or so later, I found that one of the grand kids had cleaned my rocks, removing the lat., long, and dates from them.   😞 

But don't worry.  I don't take rocks from tourist areas.