3.4. Halong

Halong (Viet Nam)

Review of this natural wonder

According to local legend, long ago, when the Vietnamese were fighting against the Chinese invaders coming from the sea, the Jade Emperor sent a family of celestial dragons to help them defend their land. These Dragons spat gems and jade. Jewels became the Islands and islets in the Bay, joining to form a great wall against the invaders, and in this way managed to sink enemy ships. After protecting his land, they formed the country known as Viet Nam. It has Long means 'descending dragon', a name that comes from a local legend. According to other versions, the jewels were pearls and the Bay was created when the dragon was launched to the sea; falling he stirred up the tail and this hit Earth causing deep valleys and crevasses that then flooded the sea.

Geographical aspects

Ha Long Bay (in Vietnamese: Hội Ha Long), also called Halong Bay or Along Bay, is an extension of water of approximately 1,500 km2. Located to the North of Viet Nam, in the province of Quang Ninh, in the Gulf of Tonkin, near the Chinese border, 170 km east of Hanoi. Extends along a coastline of 120 km. the presence of karstic elements and Islands of various shapes and sizes.
It was declared as world heritage by Unesco in 1994 and expanded the Declaration in the year 2000. Covers an area of 150,000 has. In addition, it is from the November 11 one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
According to local legend, long ago, when the Vietnamese were fighting against the Chinese invaders coming from the sea, the Jade Emperor sent a family of celestial dragons to help them defend their land. These Dragons spat gems and jade. Jewels became the Islands and islets in the Bay, joining to form a great wall against the invaders, and in this way managed to sink enemy ships. After protecting his land, they formed the country known as Viet Nam. It has Long means 'descending dragon', a name that comes from a local legend. According to other versions, the jewels were pearls and the Bay was created when the dragon was launched to the sea; falling he stirred up the tail and this hit Earth causing deep valleys and crevasses that then flooded the sea.

Geographic location

Halong Bay is located in the Northwest of Viet Nam between E106 ° 56' and E107 ° 37' and from N20 ° 43 'and N21 ° 09'. The Bay starts in Yên Hưng district, and passes through the city of Ha Long and Cẩm Phả district of Van Đồn, bordering the Gulf of Tonkin, North China and the West and Southwest by the island of Cat Ba in the South and Southeast. Its coast line is about 120 kilometers and its extension of 1.553 square kilometers, in which there are 1.969 Islands. The area recognised by UNESCO as heritage occupy 434 km², within which there are 775 Islands which are limited by 3 points: the island of Đầu Gỗ West, the Ba Tập Lake to the South and the island of Cống Tay to the East.