Ha Long Bay (or Halong Bay) - a magnificent scenic spot located in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, is famous for its mountains, water, clouds, caves and grottoes. Ha Long Bay is the center of a larger zone including Bai Tu Long to the northeast and Cat Ba islands to the southwest. It was recognized as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1994 and nominated as one of the World's 7 Natural Wonders in 2009.History & Tales:
Like many other Vietnamese towns names, Ha Long Bay (literally: Bay of Descending Dragon) has the origin from a legend. Once upon a time, Vietnam was invaded shortly after they started building the country. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to help Vietnamese people. The dragons emitted from their mouths many pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls stopping the invaders boats.
These boats crashed into the islands and broke into pieces. Vietnamese won the battle thanks to the tricky battle field. After the victory, the dragons decided to stay on the bay and the pearls still remained. The location that Mother Dragon landed is then called Ha Long Bay and where Child ones descended is Bai Tu Long Bay.
Weather
The annual temperature of Ha Long bay is 22,8oC, suitable for tourists to travel all year round. The best time to visit is from March to August, because during this time, tourists have the chance to shoot exotic photos with blue sky and sea as smooth as mill pond. It's cloudy and rainy in autumn and chilly in winter. Especially, the period between August and October is the typhoon season.
Where to go
Visitors to Ha Long shouldn't miss Bai Chay beach (Scorched Beach close to the coast of Ha Long Bay), whose sand is dark. People often mistakenly think that this is due to the climate or lack of wind in this area. However, the weather here is quite pleasant and the temperature is around 22oC. From Bai Chay, you can hire a boat and go out to the bay, where you will find some of Southeast Asian most fascinating limestone islands.
The limestone formations are both bizarre and awesome. They are Thien Cung (Heavenly Palace Cave) - 4km from the wharf outside of Ha Long City, Dau Go (Wooden Stakes Cave) is 8km south of Bai Chay, Bo Nau (Pelican Cave) , Trinh Nu (Virgin Cave) 15km south of Bai Chay, in the island range of Bo Hon, in the system comprised Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), Dong Tien Lake and Luon Grotto, etc.
Besides Ha Long Bay, there are Mong Cai is the border city with China (visas must have been sourced in your home country), Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong City and Tuan Chau Island is a newly developed tourist resort. They are all worth visiting!
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