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 HALONG BAY BY
HELICOPTER TOUR
HALONG BAY
WITH BHAYA CRUISE
HALONG BAY
WITH INDOCHINA SAILS
HALONG BAY
WITH GINGER JUNK
HALONG BAY
DAILY TOUR
HALONG BAY ON
TRADITIONAL JUNK
HALONG BAY ON
CHINESE JUNK TOUR
RELAXING ON
EMERAUDE CRUISE TOUR
HALONG BAY ON
DRAGON’S PEARL JUNK 2 DAYS
HALONG BAY ON
DRAGON’S PEARL JUNK
HALONG BAY
CRUISE AND KAYAKING 2 DAYS
HALONG BAY
CRUISE AND KAYAKING TOUR
HALONG BAY–CAT BA ISLAND KAYAKING AND TREKKING
TOUR
CATBA
KAYAKING BASE CAMP 2-DAY
TOUR
CAT BA
KAYAKING BASE CAMP 3-DAY
TOUR
Accommodation in Halong Bay
Accommodation on board (recommended)
Hotels and Resorts in Halong City
 History of the name
Ha Long
“Ha Long” is literally translated as
"Bay of Descending Dragons." Prior to the 19th century,
this name was not recorded in any document or archive.
When mentioning the present-day Quang Ninh Sea or Ha Long
Bay, old historical books often referred to them by the
names of An Bang, Luc Thuy or Van Don. Not until the late
19th century did the name of Halong Bay appear on a French
Marine Map. “The Hai Phong News”, a French newspaper of
the time, had an article, “Dragon appears on Ha Long Bay”,
reporting the following story: In 1898 a sub-lieutenant
named Lagredin, captaining the ‘Avalanse’ reported seeing
a huge sea snake on Ha Long Bay. This was also witnessed
by many of the crews. Thus emerged the European image of
the Asian dragon. Whether this appearance of a strange
animal looking like a dragon resulted the name of Ha Long
Bay is not known (Reference “Quang Ninh: Art and Culture”
published in 2002).
There is also a local legend, which
has been handed down, relating to the name Ha Long Bay,
which tells the following tale:
“Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people
were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent
the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help
the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy
vessels were launching massive attacks against the
mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky.
They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade
stone islands the moment they touched the water. These
islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked
the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces.
After the invaders were driven out,
Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to
Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the
battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed
was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai
Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was
called Long Vi, the present-day Tra Co Peninsula with its
soft sandy beach stretching many kilometers.”
Halong Bay is located in the Northeast of Vietnam,
belonging to Quang Ninh Province. It is in the coastal
area stretching from 1060 56’ to 1070 37’ east longitude
and 200 43’ to 210 09’ north latitude. To the west and
northwest, Halong Bay stretches from Yen Hung District,
and includes the large urban areas of Halong City and Cam
Pha Town, as well as Van Don Island District. To the south
and southeast, it is adjacent to the western Tonkin Gulf
and to the west and southwest lies Cat Ba Island in the
province of Hai Phong. On the world map, Ha Long Bay
borders to China in the north and in the east it is
adjacent to the East Sea.
In 1962, the Ministry of Culture and
Information classified Halong Bay as a National Landscape
Site, covering an area of 1,553 km2 with 1,969 islands.
Halong Bay has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World
Heritage Area for its universal values of landscape,
geology and geomorphology, respectively in 1994 and 2000,
an area of 434 sq. km. including 775 islands.
The area inscribed by UNESCO (the
Protected Area I - the Core Zone) is bound by Dau Go
Island in the east, Ba Ham Lake in the south and Cong Tay
Island in the east. The Protected Area II - the Buffer
Zone is identified by the shore of the Bay running along
the National Highway No. 18A, from the Gasoline Warehouse
B12 in Cai Dam Precinct to the km.11 marker in Quang Hanh
Precinct, Cam Pha Town. The Protected Area III - the
Hinterland Zone is the sea or mainland area surrounding
the buffer zone, including the area adjacent to the Cat Ba
National Park of Hai Phong City.
Climate is featured humid tropical
character, including two distinct seasons: hot, humid with
much raining in summer and cold, dry in winter. The
average temperature ranges from 150 – 250C with annual
average rainfall of 2,000 – 2,200mm/year. Halong Bay has a
typical tidal time (tidal amplitude ranges from 3.5 –
4.0m. The degree of salt in the sea water ranges from 31 –
34.5% in the dry season and decreases in the rainy season.
Island and caves in Halong Bay
Most of the islands on Ha Long Bay
are limestone and were formed over 500 million years ago,
and are massed in the southeast and southwest. The schist
islands scattered in the southeast have an average height
of between 50-200m, and have a rich covering of flora.
Within the islands of the Bay there
are hundreds of beautiful caves of different shapes and
sizes, including many famous names such as Thien Cung, Dau
Go, Sung Sot, Tam Cung and Bo Nau. Some of them are
archaeological sites retaining tangible archaeological
evidence, such as Dau Go, Bo Nau, Sung Sot, Soi Nhu, Tien
Long, Me Cung, and Trinh Nu caves.
People in Halong Bay's World Heritage
area
In the World Heritage Area: is
inhabited by the fishing communities, including the 4
communes of Cua Van, Cong Tau, Vong Vieng and Ba Hang with
a total of over 1,600 people. This population belongs to
Hung Thang Precinct of Halong City. They live on floating
houses and boats and make their livelihood by fishing and
aquaculture.
Values of Halong Bay
Aesthetic value:
The permanent beauty of Ha Long is
created by three factors: stone, water and sky. Ha Long’s
island system is multicolored with a variety of shapes and
can be regarded as a water-color, a work of art. The
islands, scattered all round, have different shapes which
provoke the imagination: Dinh Huong (Incense Burner)
implies spiritual significance, Ga Choi (Fighting Cocks)
the symbol of Viet Nam tourism, Con Coc (Toad) recalls the
passage of time, waiting thousands of years to seek
justice in Heaven. There are islands that resemble a
resplendent throne, a Vietnamese mother’s curved back
carrying her child, a roof, an old man, a human head and
so on.
Within the bigger islands are great
attractions. Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes) dazzles the
senses with many huge stalactites hanging poised in mid
air and stalagmites growing majestically upwards. Then
there is Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Palace) with its
small, narrow entrance, but inside looking like a
marvelous palace. Bo Nau Cave (Pelican) has an arc-shape
entrance containing many stalactites. Sung Sot Cave
(Surprise Cave) lives up to its name. Within this cave are
stalactites with many marvelous shapes, such as: jungle
fowl, toad, dragon, waterfall and many others.
Other caves and grottoes such as Tam Cung (Three Palaces),
Trinh Nu (Virgin), Ba Hang (Three Tunnels), Tien Long
(Fairy Dragon), each has its own attractions and beauty.
Ha Long’s sea is always the same,
blue, smooth and still. Ha Long has its own beauty by
seasons. In Spring, buds of trees burst on limestone
islands. In Summer, it is cool and clean with many
sparkling sun rays reflecting from the sea’s surface. In
Autumn, especially at night, moonlight illuminates the
mountains so they appear like gold, inlaid into the earth.
In Winter, with pervasive frost, Ha Long is glamorous as
“a floating flower basket on smooth wave” (by writer
Nguyen Tuan).
Geological value:
Halong Bay’s geological value has been evaluated in two
ways: by the history of its formation and by its karst
geomorphology.
Formation history: The Halong Bay area
has a long geological history, commencing nearly 500
million years ago, stretching through various ancient
geological periods involving the processes of orogeny
earth movements, marine regression, tectonic down-warping
and marine transgression. Between the Ordovician and
Silurian periods (500 to 410 million years ago) the area
was a deep sea. Later, between the Carboniferous and
Permian periods (340 to 250 million years ago) the sea had
become shallow. By the end of the Paleogenic and the
beginning of the Neogenic periods (26 and 20 million years
ago) the area had become part of a great coastal plain.
This was inundated again by the sea about 2 million years
ago. During the Triassic period, (240 and 195 million
years ago) when most of the rest of the world was
experiencing hot, dry climatic conditions, the Ha Long
region had a hot and wet climate. The decayed remains of
enormous forests of tree ferns were the basis of the coal
deposits in the area.
Karst geomorphologic value: Ha Long Bay
is a mature karst landscape developed during a warm, wet,
tropical climate. The sequence of stages in the evolution
of a karst landscape over a period of 20 million years
requires a combination of several distinct elements
including massive thickness of limestone, a hot wet
climate and slow overall tectonic uplift. There are
various stages of karst formation and remnants of old
phreatic, old karstic foot and marine notch caves can be
observed. The characteristics of mature karst terrain are
Fengling and Fengcong. The conical shapes of fengcong
karst form clusters of limestone, having pyramid shapes
lying close together with an average height of around
100m, though the highest may reach up to 200m. The conical
shapes of fenglin karst are like individual towers having
abrupt slopes and reaching heights of between 50 - 100m.
The ratio between height and width is 6:1. Conical shapes
of fengcong karst can be seen in the groups of hills on Bo
Hon and Dau Be islands. The karst fields were formed in
different ways, such as: landslide, ceiling collapse of
underground river valleys and underground caves ,and by
the existence of undissolved stone layers. These karst
fields were regularly flooded by the sea.
The underground karst topography is
divided into 3 main types of caves:
+ Remnants of old phreatic caves such as Sung Sot, Tam
Cung, Lau Dai, Thien Cung, Dau Go and Thien Long.
+ Old karstic foot caves such as Trinh Nu, Bo Nau, Tien
Ong and Trong;
+ Marine notch caves such as Luon Cave, Ba Hang and Ba Ham
Lakes.
The karst landscape of Ha Long Bay is of international
significance and of fundamental importance to the science
of geomorphology. The geology of Ha Long Bay is associated
with the value of its bio-diversity, archaeological
culture, history and other significant values.
The Cultural − Historical value
Halong Bay is a home of ancient Viet people.
Soi Nhu Culture: lasted from 18,000 to
7,000 year ago, concentrated in Halong Bay and Baitulong
Bay areas. The typical archaeological remains of this
culture can still be found at Me Cung, Tien Ong and
Thien Long and include archaeological seashells and
fresh shells, some fresh water molluscs and simple work
tools. The main living method of Soi Nhu people was
catching shellfish, picking fruit, digging roots and
bulbs and fishing. This cave-culture is illustrated by
traces of mountain snail (Cyclophorus) and stream snail
(Melania) and some other fresh-water molluscs. These
findings have shown that, in comparison with Hoa Binh
-Bac Son culture of the same period, the cultural model
of the Soi Nhu people was more developed. This is
evident in their adaptation to the marine environment.
Cai beo Culture: (from 7,000 to 5,000
years ago) is the link between Soi Nhu Culture and
Halong Cultures. Within the Halong area some relics from
this culture have been found at sites such as Giap Khau
and Ha Gian. Cai Beo archaeological relics have proved
that our ancestors adapted to the marine environment
sooner than believed, developing a great culture which
converged with many of the characteristics of other
Vietnamese and the Southeast Asian cultures. Cai Beo
people made their livelihood not only by the traditional
methods of hunting and picking, but also by marine
exploitation.
Halong Culture: (from 4,500 to 3,500
years ago) is divided into 2 stages: earlier and later.
The first distinctive feature of Halong culture in
the earlier stage: was the result of
middle-Holocene marine transgression in the period 6,000
to 5,000 years ago. This caused the loss of a habitable
environment for the Cai Beo people and resulted in most
people moving to the northeast region of Hai Ninh coastal
area (belonging to the present day Mong Cai Town) which
formed the earlier Thoi Gieng of Halong Culture.
Archeological sites of this culture have been found in
Thoi Gieng, Go Ba Mung, Xom Chua, and Thon Nam, belonging
Van Ninh (Mong Cai Town) which was 6 m above the present
sea level. Their main living styles were hunting and
picking. Technical knowledge, such as pottery and tool
making, had further developed.
Halong culture in the later stage:
(around 4,000 to 3,000 years ago) came about as the result
of the period of maximum marine transgression This culture
developed with the migration of Halong people into the
plains, midlands and mountainous areas. The Halong
people's habitats were relatively diverse and included
caves, mountain peaks and sand bars. However, the maximum
marine transgression caused inhabited areas to become
islands and contact between people had to be by boat. So
they became marine inhabitants and marine exploitation
became the traditional livelihood. Techniques for making
labor tools in this stage became more skilful. Soft
pottery had become the distinctive ‘Halong Pottery’. (Ref:
“Halong in the Pre-historic Time” written by Ha Huu Nga
and Nguyen Van Hao, published by Halong Bay Management
Department, Halong, 2002).
Halong culture in the later stage plays an important role
in the ancient Viet civilization.
- Halong Bay- the place where marked the foundation of the
nation and its protection.
Halong Bay where maintained the first ancient trade port
of Vietnam from the 12th to 18th century.
The book of “Dai Viet su ky toan thu” (the Complete
History of Great Viet) states: “In the Spring of Ky ty
year, (the second lunar month of 1149) in the 10th
century, during the reign of King Ly Anh Tong, merchant
ships from China, Japan and Siam called into Hai Dong for
trading. They were gathered in Van Don trading port to buy
and sell precious goods and present their local products.”
(“Dai Viet su ky toan thu”, 5 sets, Socio and Science
Publishing House, Hanoi – 1998, corrected by Ngo Duc Tho).
Halong Bay is also the place of three glorious victories
for the Vietnamese people, on the rivers of Bach Dang, Cua
Luc and Van Don. These produced the national heroes Ngo
Quyen in 938, Le Hoan in 981 and Tran Hung Dao and Tran
Khanh Du in 1288. It also featured prominently in the two
wars against the French and American foreign aggressors.
Halong Bay has a strategic position for the development of
socio, economic and internal security of Vietnam.
The present day fishing community living on Halong Bay
also has its own special culture, enriching native Halong
Culture. This unique culture is typified by folklore
performance such as ‘ask and answer’ singing, sea chanties
and wedding songs. They also have a rich religion. All
these things are still as an " open door" or "a fertile
land" for researchers and people who respect, and love to
discover, traditional culture.
The bio diversity value
Bio-diversity is an important natural
resource and needs to be preserved and conserved to
maintain the ecological balance of the whole region.
Bio-diversity is the general term used to reflect
diversify and abundance in nature and includes all living
things.
(Source:
Ha Long Bay Management Department)
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