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Situated in the North-East
region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a bay in the Gulf of Tonkin comprised
of regions of Halong City, the township of Cam Pha, and a part of the
island district of Van Don. Halong Bay borders Cat Ba Island in the
southwest, the East Sea in the east, and the mainland, creating a 120
km coastline. Halong Bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes,
989 of which have been given names. There are two kinds of islands,
limestone and schist, which are concentrated in two main zones: the
southeast (belonging to Bai Tu Long Bay), and the southwest (belonging
to Halong Bay). This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world
famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, forms the
central zone of Halong Bay, which has been named a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.The bay itself has an area of 43,400 ha, consists of 775
islands, and forms a triangle with the island of Dau Go (Driftwood
Grotto) to the west, the lake of Ba Ham (Three Shelter Lake) to the
south, and the island of Cong Tay to the east.Viewed from above,
Halong Bay resembles a geographic work of art. While exploring the
bay, you feel lost in a legendary world of stone islands. There is
Man's Head Island, which resembles a man standing and looking towards
the mainland.
Dragon Island looks like a dragon hovering above the turquoise water.
La Vong Island resembles an old man fishing. There are also the
islands of the Sail, the Pair of Roosters, and the Incense Burner,
which all astonishingly resemble their namesakes. The forms of the
islands change depending on the angle of the light and from where the
islands are viewed. At the core of the islands, there are wonderful
caves and grottoes, such as Thien Cung (Heavenly Residence Grotto),
Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto), Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), and Tam Cung
(Three Palace Grotto).
Halong Bay has many links to the history of Vietnam. For example,
there are such famous geographical sites as Van Don (site of an
ancient commercial port), Poem Mountain (with engravings of many poems
about emperors and other famous historical figures), and Bach Dang
River (the location of two fierce naval battles fought against foreign
aggressors).It has been proven by scientists that Halong was one of
the first cradles of human existence in the area at such archeological
sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu, and Thoi Gieng. It is also a
region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with many
ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs, and tropical
forests featuring thousands of species of animal and plant life.With
all this in mind, the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World
Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially
recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide
importance.
HIGHLIGHTS
DAU GO GROTTO
Dau Go Grotto is found on Driftwood Island, formerly known as Canh Doc
Island. The name Driftwood Grotto comes from the popular story of the
resistance war against the Nguyen Mong aggressors. In a decisive
battle, Tran Hung Dao was given an order to prepare many ironwood
stakes to be planted on the riverbed of the Bach Dang River. The
remaining wooden pieces were found in the grotto and, as a result, the
grotto was given its present name. The entrance is reached via 90
steps up the island. The grotto is divided into three main parts. In
the first chamber, many forms can be seen in the rock, depending on
the imagination of the observer. In the middle of the chamber, on the
top of the pillar, there appears to be a monk draped in a long, dark
cloak, with his right hand clasping a cane. Moving into the second
chamber, visitors pass through a narrow "door", naturally formed
through erosion. The light here is mysterious, and new images appear
in the stone. At the end of the grotto is a well of clear water
surrounded by four ancient walls. In this grotto, there remains an
engraved stone stele singing the praises of Halong Bay ordered by
Emperor Khai Dinh when he came to visit the grotto in 1917. Dau Go is
40 minutes from Bai Chay.
TRINH NU GROTTO
The Virgin Grotto is situated in the island range of Bo Hon, in the
system comprised of the Surprise Grotto, Dong Tien Lake, and Luon
Grotto. The grotto is 15 km south of Bai Chay Beach. For some
fishermen, the Virgin Grotto is home, while for young lovers it is a
popular romantic rendezvous site. According to legend, there once was
a beautiful fisherman's daughter, whose family was so poor that they
were in service of the rich administrator of the fishing zone, who
forced the family to give him their daughter as a concubine. However,
the fisherman’s daughter already had a lover and refused to marry the
administrator. The administrator got angry and exiled her to a wild
island where she suffered from hunger and exhaustion. One frightful
night she turned to stone. On this same night, her lover, knowing of
her danger, rowed his boat in search of her. However, a tempest
destroyed his boat, and he floated to a nearby island. In a flash of
lightening, he saw his lover in the distance, but his calls were
driven away by the wind. In his final exhaustion, he also turned to
stone (today’s Male Grotto). When visiting the Virgin Grotto, you can
still see the petrified girl with her long hair hanging down and eyes
looking towards the mainland. Opposite the Virgin Grotto, the Male
Grotto is still home to the lover whose his face is turned towards his
mate. At times, his passionate calls and blows against the walls of
the grotto can still be heard. turned towards his mate. At times, his
passionate calls and blows against the walls of the grotto can still
be heard.
THIEN CUNG GROTTO
This recently discovered grotto is one of the most beautiful in Halong
Bay. Thien Cung is situated on the southwest side of the bay, 4 km
from the wharf outside of Halong City. It is located in a small range
of islands that resemble a throne embracing two superb grottoes at its
core. The way to Thien Cung is perilous, covered on both sides by
thick forest. After entering a narrow gate, the magnificent, 130 m
long grotto opens up. According to legend, a beautiful young lady
named May (cloud) caught the eye of the Dragon Prince and he fell in
love with her. They were betrothed and got married in the very center
of the grotto. All of the scenes of their wedding, which lasted for
seven days and seven nights, have been seemingly fossilized in the
grotto. In the center, there are four large pillars supporting the
"roof of heaven". From the base to the top, many strange images seem
to exist in the stone, including birds, fish, flowers and even scenes
of human life. On the north wall of the grotto, a group of fairies
seems to be singing and dancing in honor of the wedding. Under the
immeasurably high roof, stalactites form a natural stone curtain.
There is also the sound of a beating drum made by the wind blowing
through the stone. In the last chamber of the grotto, a natural
gushing stream of water babbles throughout the year. Here there are
three small ponds of clear water. One path meanders out of the grotto.
BAI
THO MOUNTAIN
Bai Tho Mountain is 106 m high. It runs along the coast, half on land
and half in the sea. Sailing in the bay, one or two hundred meters
from the mountain, one can see a poem carved on a flat stone cliff. In
1468, Emperor Le Thanh Tong, who was also a poet, made an inspection
tour of the North-East region. He stopped at the foot of the mountain,
and inspired by the magnificent beauty of his surroundings, he wrote a
poem. Later, he had the poem engraved on the wall of the mountain. It
is very interesting to climb the mountain and enjoy the panoramic view
of the bay.
TUAN
CHAU ISLET
Situated 3 km west of Dao Go Islet, Tuan Chau Islet has an area of 300
ha. On the islet, there is a very simple bamboo house built by the
inhabitants of Quang Ninh for Uncle Ho to rest after visiting Halong
Bay. The house is now carefully preserved by the locals.
BAI CHAY
BEACH
Bai Chay is a resort located along the coast of Halong Bay. This is a
windward ocean resort which has a year round average temperature of 20oC
(68oF). Bai Chay is a low gently sloping range of hills
that runs along the sea for more than 2 km. Blended in among the pine
trees are large hotels and small villas with distinguished
architectural styles. Traveling down the asphalt road along the coast,
visitors see long white stretches of sand and green rows of Casuarina
trees, tucked under which are small family-run restaurants. After
swimming at the beach, tourists can enjoy cold drinks and cool off in
the breeze that sweeps in from the sea.
CAT BA ISLAND
Cat Ba National Park is located on Cat Ba Island, 150 km east of
Hanoi. The park covers approximately 200 km, two thirds of which
consists of a forested zone and one third, a marine zone.One should
leave Halong Bay or Do Son without a visit to Cat Ba Island. The
island is home to over 600 kinds of plants including Bang, Goi Nep,
Sang Le, and Kim Giao trees. The fauna living on the island is also
diverse; the island is home to rare wild white-headed langurs, deer,
and macaques, to name a few. Cat Ba marine reserves comprise sea
turtles, lobster, coral, oysters, and dolphins. The cool weather in
Cat Ba is suitable for relaxation and convalescence. From Hanoi, one
can travel to Haiphong by train or by bus, and then by boat to Cat Ba
Island. |
