The NewOpenWorld has sent a message of congratulations to the Halong Bay board of campaigning on July 24, praising its efforts bring Halong Bay from the initial list of 440 nominees to the final stage of the voting.

The bay which was twice recognised by the UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values ranks 12th among the 28 successful landscapes in terms of votes, according to the NewOpenWorld’s website on July 21.

The Amazon rainforest, which stretches through nine countries in South America, leads the voting.

Asian countries have six nominees in the final round, of which three were recommended by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, namely Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The campaign will continue to vote for the seven new wonders of nature, which will be unveiled in 2011.