Topic Ha Long Bay: Paradise on Sea

Overview• Etymology • Location • Area and key landscape• Residents • Climate• Current situation: Environmental damage• Awards and designations• Appendix: Several famous attractions in

Ha Long Bay

Etymology • Literal meaning of Ha Long: "descending

dragon")• A local legend: a basis of naming the

Island• Meaning of Bai Tu Long and Bach Long

Vy island

Location of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam

• Stretching from Yên Hưng district, passingHạ Long city, Cẩm Phả town to Vân Đồn District,

• Bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China, and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà Island

Area and key lanscape• Area of around 1,553 km2

• 1,960–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone

Residents • 1,600 people on Hạ Long Bay in four fishing villages• Living on floating houses and by fishing and marine aquaculture

Climate and Ecology• Climate: Tropical, wet, sea islands, with two seasons: hot and moist

summer and dry and cold winter• Ecology:+ Two ecosystems: tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem;

marine and coastal ecosystem+ Endemic species: Livistona halongensis, Impatiens halongensis, 

Chirita halongensis,Chirita hiepii, Chirita modesta, Paraboea halongensis and Alpinia calcicola

+ Popular aquatic species: cuttlefish; oyster ; cyclinae; prawns, panulirus, nerita, etc.

Current situation: Environmental damage

• Mangroves and seagrass beds have been cleared

• Many endangered species of fish are endangered

Awards and designations• «Renowned National Landscape Monument» (1962)

by Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism• World Heritage Site (1994) by UNESCO• Included in 2012 World Monuments Watch (World

Monuments Fund)• One of New Seven Natural Wonders (2012) by New 7

Wonders Foundation• Member of the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays

Several famous attractions in Halong BaySung Sot Cave

+ Located in Bo Hon Island. + A largest and most beautiful cave in Halong Bay .

Apendix: Several famous attractions in Halong Bay

Thien Cung Grotto

• Located on Dau Go Island (Wooden Stakes Island) in the southwestern Halong Bay

• Like an art museum with variety of sophisticated statues and reliefs

Several famous attractions in Halong BayBai Tho (Poem) Mountain

• Altitude of 200 meters above sea level

• The more poetic Ha Long from the top of Bai Tho mountain

Several famous attractions in Halong BayTuan Chau Island

• On the south-west side of Hạ Long City

• Area of 2.2 km² • Two man-made beaches

endowed with very white, fine sand stretching toward east and south,

Several famous attractions in Halong BayTuan Chau Island

• An artificial sandy beach located along the Ha Long Bay with a length of more than 500 metres and a width of 500 metres

Several famous attractions in Halong BayCat Ba Island

• Surface area of 285 km2 • Spectacular rock relief

and bizarre rock• Resident: 13500

people, living in 6 communes, of which Cat Ba Town is the largest

♥ Thank you for your listening ♥

Reference • www.english.baoquangninh.com.vn• www.halongcruises.us• www.en.wikipedia.org• www.toursinvietnam.com• www.frommers.com• www.graylinehalong.com