| U Minh Thượng National Park | |
| Iucn Category: | II |
| Map: | Vietnam |
| Location: | miền Nam Việt Nam |
| Coordinates: | 9.5833°N 105.0833°W |
| Area: | 80.53km2 |
| Established: | 14 January 2002 |
| Governing Body: | UBND of Kiên Giang Province |
U Minh Thượng National Park or National Park of Upper U Minh (Vietnamese language: Vườn quốc gia U Minh Thượng) is a national park in the province of Kiên Giang, Vietnam.[1]
It was established according to decision number 11/2002/QĐ-TTg, dated 14 January 2002, signed by then Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. This decision turned the U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve into U Minh Thuong National Park.
The park covers approximately 80.53km2 with the nearest city being Rạch Giá
U Minh Thuong National Park is widely considered the richest region of the Mekong delta in terms of plant and animal biodiversity.[2] It boasts of over 243 plant species.[1] The park has a rich and varied mammalian population, totaling an impressive 32 species, including hairy-nosed otters and fishing cats. U Minh Thuong National Park is a haven for rare and endangered birds. A total of 187 species of birds has been recorded here, including the oriental darter, spot-billed pelican, black-headed ibis, glossy ibis, greater spotted eagle and Asian golden weaver.[3] There are also a total of 39 amphibian species and 34 species of fish in the park. Both the saltwater crocodile and the Siamese crocodile were once found here, but a 2002 study concluded that both species were extinct in the park.[4]
During the First Indochina War the U Minh Forest was a Viet Minh stronghold. In 1952, 500 French paratroopers dropped into the U Ming forest to attack Viet Minh and were never heard from again.[5] During the Vietnam War it was a Vietcong base area.[6] Officers Humbert Roque Versace and James N. Rowe of the United States Army were captured by the Vietcong during a battle in the U Minh Forest in October 1963. Versace was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by American Military and Rowe escaped five years later.[7] American politician John Kerry commanded a Swift boat in the area during the Vietnam War, known as the American War in Vietnam.