Situated in the North-East region of Vietnam
( It take 2.5hrs
driving from Hanoi),
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 166 kms coastline
Halong Bay is made up of 3,000 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 (wooden stake Grotto),
Sung Sot
(Surprise Grotto),
and Tam Cung (Three Palace
Grotto).
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.
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.
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 languor, 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.
"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.
