Ha Long Bay concentrated zone of stone islands ,which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and new wonder of the world.
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. Nearly, Ha Long Bay was voted to be a new wonder of the
world.
I. Grottoes
Dau Go (Driftwood) 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. Admission is 15,000
VND per person, 5,000 VND for children under 15, and children under 6
are free.
Trinh Nu (Virgin) Grotto-Trong (Male) 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.
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.
Quang Hanh Grotto
Located
9 km west of Cam Pha, Quang Hanh Grotto is the longest grotto in Halong
Bay. It is 1,300 m long, and stretches throughout the stone mountain of
Quang Hanh. The French named it "Le Tunnel," or Tunnel Grotto.
Quang
Hanh Grotto is accessible by either boat or car, but the entrance only
appears when the tide is out. Ba Co Shrine (shrine of three girls) is in
the grotto beside a smooth stone block. Legend tells that three girls,
who were once journeying on the sea, came to the grotto to take shelter
from the rain. They were so engrossed with the beauty of the grotto,
that they did not notice the rising tide. They drowned, only to become
water goddesses.
Quang Hanh Grotto is extremely beautiful. A
small boat will take you through the stone passageway by flashlight,
casting magical colors on the hanging stalactites.
II. Islands
Bai Tho Mountain (Poem 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.
III. Beaches
Bai Chay
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.
If tourists in Vietnam Travel have chance to visit Quang Ninh, Ha Long Bay is a must-see place that should not be missed!
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