The park is part of Cát Bà Island in Hạ Long Bay and is administered by the city of Haiphong.

Cát Bà National Park was established on 31 March 1986 under No.79/CP decision of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam (now the government).

The tourists created a demand for traditional medicine and development and logging led to the near extinction of the white-headed langur with numbers falling from 2600 to just 40 in 2003.

The island is mainly limestone with alternating narrow valleys running north-east to south-west.

The island is on a major migration route for waterfowl which feed and roost in the mangrove forests.