This rock wonder in the sky stretches from Yên Hung district, past Ha Long city, town to Van Don district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China, and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The bay has a 120 km long coastline and is approximately 1,553 km² in size with about 2000 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site incorporates 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points: Đau Go island on the west, Ba Ham lake on the south and Cong Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cam Pha town and the surrounding zone.
According to many historical resources and researches, Ha Long Bay was home for prehistorical human beings. The successive ancient cultures are the Soi Nhu culture around 18,000-7000 BC, the Cái Bèo culture 7000-5000 BC and the Ha Long culture 5,000-3,500 years ago. Ha Long Bay also marked important events in the history of Vietnam with many artifacts found in Bài Tho Mout, Đau Go Cave, Bãi Cháy.
What you may find most intriguing is that the legends of ancient sources about these beautiful islands. According to local legend, when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the earth, and then decided to live here. The place where the mother dragon descended was named Ha Long, the place where the dragon's children attended upon their mother was called Bái Tu Long island (Bái: attend upon, Tu: children, Long: dragon), and the place where the dragon's children wriggled their tails violently was called Bach Long Vy island (Bach: white- colour of the foam made when Dragon's children wriggled, Long: dragon, Vy: tail).
With its moist summer and cold winter plus mild temperature and an annual rainfall of 2000mm, Bay is entitled to be visited by many sightseers as much as possible. As far as from Soi Nhu culture (16,000- 5000 BC), Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000 BC) and Feudal period to present day, its inhabitants’ way of living has changed pretty much from catching fish and shellfish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots, raising the sea exploitation level to a bit developed fishing industry with export quality products and eye-catching tourism. There are two bigger islands with permanent residencies and hotel facilities. Tourists visiting Ha Long Bay are not only treated to one of the natural wonders of the world, but also to a precious geological museum that has been naturally preserved in the open air for the last 300 million years.
Not only its lime stone caves and islands and islets but also their serene beaches and lakes inside the islands, its thick vegetation with several species of Animalia contribute to the natural beauty craved by many. For its breath taking and picturesque beauty, Ha Long Bay was first named as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1994. In 2000 the World Heritage Committee additionally recognized Ha Long Bay for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value, and its World Heritage Listing was updated. And also it was nominated for voting for the new seven natural wonders of the world in 2009.
Endemic species found in Ha Long Bay
- Livistona halongensis
- Impatiens halongensis
- Chirita halongensis
- Chirita hiepii
- Chirita modesta
- Paraboea halongensis
- Alpinia calcicola
The many islands that dot the bay are home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 magnoliales, 12 pteris, 20 salt marsh flora; and 4 amphibia, 10reptilia,40 aves, and 4 mammalia.
Understanding and enjoying the beauty of such natural wonders enclose us with the responsibility of protecting and preserving what mother Earth has crafted and gifted us. Many tourists that come to Ha Long Bay do not understand the importance of it but happily join the club and ruin the place. Why not leave what you saw unharmed but your footsteps only?
Ha Long Bay differs from the rest with more or less different characteristics with its own specialities and secrets yet to be discovered and truths to be told. Pay a visit and gain the experience so unreal and let it shine through the years to come so that generations and generations will prosper from its uniqueness.
The map of Ha Long Bay
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