Difference between revisions of "Ha Long Bay" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
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|Name       = Hạ Long Bay|infoboxwidth= 250px
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|Name   = Hạ Long Bay|infoboxwidth= 250px
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|Image       = [[Image:IMGP3249.JPG|280px|Hạ Long bay]]
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|Image   = [[Image:FishingVillage HaLongBay Vietnam (pixinn.net).jpg|Floating fishing village|200px]]
 
|State_Party = {{VIE}}
 
|State_Party = {{VIE}}
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|Type       = Natural
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|Type   = Natural
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|Criteria   = vii, viii
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|Criteria = vii, viii
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|ID         = 672bis
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|ID     = 672bis
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|Region     = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia|Southeast Asia]]
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|Region   = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia|Southeast Asia]]
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|Year       = 1994, 2000
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|Year   = 1994, 2000
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|Session     = 18th, 24th
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|Session   = 18th, 24th
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|Link       = http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=672  
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|Link   = http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=672
 
}}
 
}}
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'''Ha Long Bay''' ([[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]: ''Vịnh Hạ Long'') situates in [[Quang Ninh|Quảng Ninh province]]
 +
in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past [[Ha Long|Hạ 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 [[Cat Ba Island|Cát Bà island]]. The bay has a 120 kilometer long coastline and covers approximately 1,553 square kilometers with 1969 islets. [[UNESCO]] designated Ha Long Bay a World Heritage site in 1994 and extended in 2000.<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/672bis.pdf UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation] Retrieved June 18, 2008.</ref> The area designated by UNESCO as the [[World Heritage Site|World Natural Heritage Site]] includes 434 km² with 775 islets, the zone defined by Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area extends from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone. The bay features thousands of [[limestone]] [[karst]]s and isles in various sizes and shapes.
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{{toc}}
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Vietnam's [[Origin myths|origin myth]] points to Halong Bay as the place where [[Vietnam]] became. The myth represents [[Dragon|dragons]] as the founders of the [[Peninsula|peninsula]] empire, which intervened to save the region, on the behest of the gods, from invading Chinese forces. The [[Mythology|myth]] reveals several things. First, the relationship of [[China-Vietnam relations|Vietnam with China]]. As with other smaller kingdoms in [[Southeast Asia,]] great distances from the power centers of China on the coast in the north, Vietnam could successfully resist China's armies. Second, the origin myth of the dragon reveals the Vietnamese people's confidence that the gods have granted Vietnam a special protection and blessing. Third, the natural beauty and uniqueness of Halong Bay is revealed through the dragon [[Origin myth|origin myth]]. The myth portrays the creation of 1600 islands, shaped in unique forms out of limestone, as the result of the dragons spitting jewels and jade into the sea. Halong Bay has been nominated as one of the [[Eight Wonders of the World|eight wonders]] of the world.
  
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'''Ha Long Bay''' ([[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]: ''Vịnh Hạ Long'') is a [[UNESCO]] World Heritage site located in [[Quang Ninh|Quảng Ninh province]], [[Vietnam]]. The bay features thousands of [[limestone]] [[karst]]s and isles in various sizes and shapes.
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== UNESCO Site ==
  
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== Etymology ==
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In 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism declared Halong Bay a National Renowned Landscape Vestige site.<ref> Halong Bay Wonder in Vietnam voting campaign launched, Footprint.</ref> [[UNESCO]] listed the bay as a World's Natural Heritage at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in [[Phuket]], [[Thailand]] on December 17, 1994), citing its exceptional aesthetic nature, as an outstanding natural site. On December 2, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in [[Cairns]], [[Australia]], UNESCO designated Halong bay a [[World Heritage Site]] for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria of that Convention.<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672 Halong Bay - UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage Center] Retrieved June 18, 2008.</ref> The New Open World Foundation nominated Halong bay as one of the World's Eight Natural Wonders, the decision scheduled for August 8, 2008.<ref>[http://www.natural7wonders.com Seven Wonders of the World] Retrieved June 25, 2008.</ref>
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<!--{{Disputed-section|date=March 2008}}—>
 
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Local legend says that long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the Earth and decided to live here then. The place where Mother Dragon flew down was named Hạ Long, the place where the dragon children attended upon their mother was called [[Bái Tử Long]] island (Bái: attend upon, Tử: children, Long: dragon), and the place where the dragon children wriggled their tails violently was called Bạch Long Vỹ island (Bạch: white- colour of the foam made when Children Dragon wriggle, Long: dragon, Vỹ: tail).
 
  
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== Geographical location ==
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== Origin Myth==
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Halong bay is in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past [[Ha Long|Hạ 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 [[Cat Ba Island|Cát Bà island]]. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site includes 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points:  Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone.
+
Local legend relates that when the Vietnamese fought invading Chinese armies, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land.<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672/video View World Heritage Video] Retrieved July 4, 2008.</ref> That family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. Those jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons decided to live in Ha Long Bay. The place where Mother Dragon flew down became Hạ Long, the place where the dragon children attended upon their mother received the name [[Bái Tử Long]] island (Bái: attend upon; Tử: children; Long: dragon), and the place where the dragon children wriggled their tails violently became known as Bạch Long Vỹ island (Bạch: white- color of the foam made when Children Dragon wriggle; Long: dragon, Vỹ: tail).
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== Climate ==
 
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The bay is a sea islands in tropical wet with 2 seasons: hot and moist summer, dry and cold winter. Average [[temperature]] is from 15°C- 25°C. Annual [[rainfall]] is between 2000mm and 2200mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal [[tide]] system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The [[salinity]] is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.  
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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=== Soi Nhụ culture (16000- 5000 B.C.E.) ===
 
−
 
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Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long, there are symbolic archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên Long. There are mounds of remains of mountain shellfishes ([[Cyclophorus]]) and spring shellfishes ([[Melania]]), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labour tools. The main living procedures of Soi Nhụ's habitants were catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their living environment is coastal area unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example those found in Hoà Bình, Bắc Sơn, etc.
 
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=== Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000B.C.E.) ===
 
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Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its habitants developed to the level of sea exploitation.
 
  
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=== Hạ Long culture (2500- 1500B.C.E.) ===
+
Mê Cung and Thiên Long archaeological sites in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long provide a look into Halong Bay's prehistoric period. Mounds of the remains of mountain shellfishes ([[Cyclophorus]]) and spring shellfishes ([[Melania]]), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labor tools have been found in the site. The Soi Nhụ tribe inhabited the region before 5000 B.C.E. They lived primarily by catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their way of life compares to other tribes in Vietnam during that period, including the Hoà Bình and Bắc Sơn. The
−
==== Early ====
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Cái Bèo tribe (5000- 3000 B.C.E.), located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, developed fishing techniques that including using boats.
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==== Lately ====
 
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=== Feudal period ===
 
  
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History shows that Halong Bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On three occasions in the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing. In 1288 General [[Tran Hung Dao]] stopped [[Mongol]] ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol Dubhai Khan's fleet.
+
Halong Bay has been the setting for battles against invading navies. In the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands, the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing on three occasions. In 1288, General [[Tran Hung Dao]] stopped [[Mongol]] ships from sailing up the Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol fleet.<ref>[http://www.halongbay-vietnam.com/halong_bay_overviews.htm Halong Bay] Retrieved June 18, 2008.</ref> During the [[Vietnam War]], the [[United States]] [[navy]] heavily mined many of the channels between the islands, some still pose a threat to shipping.<ref>[http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g293923-s203/Halong-Bay:Vietnam:History.html Halong Bay History, Trip Advisor.com] Retrieved June 25, 2008.</ref>
  
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During the [[Vietnam War]], many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the [[navy]] of the [[United States]], some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.
+
A community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses, sustained by fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).
  
 
== System of isles and caves ==
 
== System of isles and caves ==
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[[Image:Thien Cung.jpg|Thien Cung grotto|thumb|right|200px|Thien Cung grotto]]
 
[[Image:Thien Cung.jpg|Thien Cung grotto|thumb|right|200px|Thien Cung grotto]]
  
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The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 [[limestone]] monolithic [[island]]s, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous [[caves]]. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave ''Grotte des Merveilles''. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French [[graffiti]]). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and [[Cat ba island|Cat Ba]], that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.
+
Some 1600 [[limestone]] [[island]]s and inlets, covered by jungle vegetation, populate Halong bay. The effect of some many tightly packed, richly vegetated, limestone islands is remarkable. The islands, for the most part, are uninhabitable, the limestone terrain making living too difficult. Enormous caves exist on some the the islands, giving the sense of being hollow.<ref>[http://www.smiletravelvietnam.com/vietnam-travel_Ha-Long_28_travel.aspx Halong Bay, Smile Vietnam Travel.com] Retrieved June 18, 2008.</ref> Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) stands as the largest grotto in the Halong area.  
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Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of [[fish]] and 450 different kinds of [[mollusk]]s. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including [[bantam]]s, [[antelope]]s, [[monkey]]s, and [[iguana]]s also live on some of the islands.
 
−
 
 
−
== Civilization ==
 
−
[[Image:FishingVillage HaLongBay Vietnam (pixinn.net).jpg|Floating fishing village|thumb|right|200px]]
 
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A community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).
 
  
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Originally in Ha Long Bay there was only one fishing village. Now there are about ten.
+
In the late nineteenth century, French named the cave ''Grotte des Merveilles''. Abundant stalactites and stalagmites furnish the three gigantic chambers. Tuan Chau and [[Cat ba island|Cat Ba]], the two largest islands in the Bay, have year-round residents, along with hotels and beaches. Many of the smaller islands, suitable only for short stays, have idyllic beaches.<ref name=vietnam>[http://www.halongbay-vietnam.com/halong_bay_overviews.htm Halong Bay: A Wonder of the World, halongbay-vietnam.com] Retrieved June 18, 2008.</ref>
  
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== Honourable name ==
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Floating villages, adapting to the inhospitable limestone [[island]]s, have taken root on some islands. They fish the bay for 200 species of [[fish]] and 450 different kinds of [[mollusk]]s.<ref>[http://www.travel84.com/latest-news/public-vote-sought-for-ha-long-bay-as-world-natural-wonder.html Public vote sought for Ha Long Bay as world natural wonder, Travel84.com.] Retrieved June 18, 2008</ref> Islands often receive their names from the images their forms suggest, for example: Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 1000 islands have received names. Although the islands, for the most part, have proven impossible for humans to live year round, birds and animals inhabit them, including [[bantam]]s, [[antelope]]s, [[monkey]]s, and [[iguana]]s.<ref name=vietnam/>
  
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In 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism arranged Halong Bay as National Renowned Lanscape Vestige.  
+
== Geology, Biodiversity, and Climate ==
 +
[[Image:The Kissing Cocks-Ha Long Bay-Vietnam.JPG|The Kissing Rocks|thumb|right|250px|The Kissing Rocks]]
  
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The bay was [[World Heritage|World's Natural Heritage]] listed by [[UNESCO]] at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in [[Phuket]], [[Thailand]] on December 17th, 1994) for its outstanding universal aesthetic value according to the criteria explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. On December 2nd, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in [[Cairns]], [[Australia]], Halong bay was admitted as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria  of that Convention.<ref>{{cite web
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A thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate, and slow tectonic process worked simultaneous to develop Ha Long bay's [[karst topography]] during the last 20 million years. For the past 500 million years, Halong bay has passed through several geological states of [[orogeny]], [[sea level rise|marine transgression]] and [[marine regression]]. Halong bay had been open, deep sea during the [[Ordovician]] and [[Silurian]] periods (500-410 million years ago), becoming a shallow sea during the [[Carboniferous]] and [[Permian]] periods (340-250 million years ago).
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|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672
 
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|title=Halong Bay - UNESCO World Heritage Site
 
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|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre
 
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|accessdate=2007-07-04
 
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}}</ref>
 
  
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Halong bay was introduced to nominate by New Open World Foundation as World's 7 Natural Wonder having result on 08/08/2008.[http://www.natural7wonders.com]
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Ha Long Bay hosts two [[ecosystem]]s: a tropical, moist, evergreen rain forest ecosystem and a marine and coastal ecosystem. [[Temperature]] ranges between from 15°C- 25°C. Annual [[rainfall]] measures 2000 mm and 2200 mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal [[tide]] system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4 m). The [[salinity]] measures from 31 to 34.5 MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.  
  
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[[Image:The Kissing Cocks-Ha Long Bay-Vietnam.JPG|The Kissing Rocks|thumb|left|250px|The Kissing Rocks]]
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The bay is home to seven endemic species. The include [[Livistona halongensis]], [[Impatiens halongensis]], [[Chirieta halongensis]], [[Chirieta hiepii]], [[Chirieta modesta]], [[Paraboea halongensis]], and [[Alpinia calcicola]]. The many islands that dot the bay serve as home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 [[magnoliales]], 12 [[pteris]], 20 [[salt marsh]] flora and four [[amphibia]], ten [[reptilia]], 40 [[aves]], and four [[mammalia]].
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== Geology and geomorphology ==
 
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=== History of tectonics ===
 
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Scientists say that Halong bay has experienced at least 500 million years in the various geological states of [[orogeny]], [[sea level rise|marine transgression]] and [[marine regression]]. During the [[Ordovician]] and [[Silurian]] periods (500-410 million years ago), Halong bay was deep sea. During the [[Carboniferous]] and [[Permian]] periods (340-250 million years ago), Halong Bay was at shallow sea level.
 
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=== Karst geomorphology value ===
 
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As of simultaneous combination of factors like thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate and slow tectonic process in whole, Ha Long bay has had a complete karst evolutionary for 20 million years. There are many of [[karst topography]] kind in Ha Long such as [[karst field]].
 
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== Biodiversity ==
 
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Ha Long Bay is host to two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem
 
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and a marine & coastal ecosystem. The bay is home to seven endemic species.
 
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=== Endemic species ===
 
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*[[Livistona halongensis]]
 
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*[[Impatiens halongensis]]
 
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*[[Chirieta halongensis]]
 
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*[[Chirieta hiepii]]
 
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*[[Chirieta modesta]]
 
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*[[Paraboea halongensis]]
 
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*[[Alpinia calcicola]]
 
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The many islands that dot the bay are home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 [[magnoliales]], 12 [[pteris]], 20 [[salt marsh]] flora and 4 [[amphibia]], 10 [[reptilia]], 40 [[aves]], and 4 [[mammalia]].
 
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== Economy ==
 
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=== Tourism ===
 
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Ha Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country.
 
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Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal,
 
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not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by.
 
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==== Cuisine ====
 
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Seafood in Ha Long is diversifying. Cuttle-fish- ''mực'', [[oyester]]- ''hà'', [[cyclinae]]- ''ngán'', prawn ([[penaeidea]]- ''tôm he'', [[panulirus]]- ''tôm hùm'', [[parapenaeopsis]]- ''tôm sắt''...), [[spunculoideas]]- ''sá sùng'', [[nerita]]- ''ốc đĩa'', [[charonia tritonis]]- ''ốc tù và'', ''cà sáy''... are popular in many famous delicious dishes.
 
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== In literature==
 
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[[Nguyễn Trãi]] wrote about Halong bay: "This wonder is ground raises up in the middle of the high sky." [[Xuân Diệu]] utter a praise: "Here is the unfinished works of the Beings...Here is the stones which the Giant played and threw away." [[Nguyên Ngọc]] summarized: "...to form this first- rate wonder, nature only uses: Stone and Water...There is just only two materials themselves chosen from as much as materials, in order to write, to draw, to sculpture, to create everything...It is quite possible that here is the image of the future world." [[Ho Chi Minh]] remarks: "It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others." [[Pham Van Dong]] embarrassed: "Is it one scenery or many seceneries? Is it the scenery in the world or somewhere?." [[Nguyễn Tuân]] recognized that:"Only mountains accept to be old, but Ha Long sea and wave is young for ever."
 
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[[Che Lan Vien]] sensed:
 
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"Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long- Dragons were hidden, only stones still remain
 
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On the moonlight night, stones meditate as men..."
 
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Lord [[Trịnh Cương]] overflowed with emotion: "Mountains are glistend by water shadow, water spill all over the sky."
 
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[[Huy Cận]] was agitated: "Night breathes, stars wave Ha Long's water."
 
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== In popular culture ==
 
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*It was the theme of Robocon (Asian Pacific Robot Contest) hold in Vietnam in 2007: "Discover Halong" [http://www.vtv.org.vn/robocon/2007en/en/index.asp?fuseaction=3&menuid=837&parent_menuid=837&articleid=2213]
 
−
*The band [[dredg]] wrote a song titled Ha Long Bay.
 
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*In the 1997 [[James Bond]] film ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'', James and Wai Lin attempt to chase down [[Elliot Carver]] played by [[Jonathan Pryce]] in the Ha Long Bay area.
 
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*It was featured on the ''[[Amazing Race 10]]'' on "Leg 4," which was originally aired on October 8, 2006.
 
−
*It was featured in the programme ''The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook''.
 
  
 
== Gallery ==  
 
== Gallery ==  
−
<gallery>
+
<center><gallery>
 
Image:IMG_0014-1.jpg|Ha Long Bay View, April 26 2007
 
Image:IMG_0014-1.jpg|Ha Long Bay View, April 26 2007
 
Image:IMG_0122-1.jpg|Ha Long Bay, April 26 2007
 
Image:IMG_0122-1.jpg|Ha Long Bay, April 26 2007
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Image:Vacation Photo 022503.jpg|Ha Long Bay, February 2003
 
 
Image:Ha Long Bay.jpg|Ha Long Bay
 
Image:Ha Long Bay.jpg|Ha Long Bay
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Image:Halong4.jpg|Ha Long Bay, December 22, 2005
 
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Image:Halong2.jpg|Boats in Ha Long Bay, December 22, 2005
 
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Image:Halong18.jpg|Ha Long Bay
 
 
Image:Ha long bay.jpg|Ha Long Bay
 
Image:Ha long bay.jpg|Ha Long Bay
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</gallery>
+
</gallery></center>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
Line 148: Line 64:
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
 +
 +
==References==
 +
* Bowermaster, Jon. ''Descending the dragon: my adventures along the coast of Vietnam''. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2008. ISBN 978-1426203046
 +
* Dõ̂ Phương Quỳnh. ''Ha Long Bay and Quang Ninh Province: the face of Vietnam''. Hanoi: GIOI, 1994. {{OCLC|221981510}}
 +
* Downs, Tom. ''Hanoi & Halong Bay''. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet, 2007. ISBN 978-1741790924
 +
* Hill, L., and B. Wald. Scaling the Dragon's Spires: Drawn by natural arches and sheer cliffs, sport climbers tackle the Ha Long Bay islands of Vietnam. ''NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC''. 192 (6) (1997): 110-119. {{OCLC|202484645}}
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
{{Commonscat|Ha Long bay}}
+
All links retrieved July 22, 2017.
−
*[http://www.halongbay-vietnam.net/halong_bay_overviews.htm Halong Bay Information]
+
 
−
*[http://www.vietnampictures.org/halong-bay-pictures.aspx Halong Bay pictures]
+
*[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672 Halong Bay - UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO World Heritage Center]  
 +
*[http://www.terragalleria.com/vietnam/vietnam.halong.html Halong Bay, Pictures by QT Luong. terragalleria.com]  
  
  

Latest revision as of 23:30, 29 July 2023

Hạ Long Bay*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Floating fishing village
Type Natural
Criteria vii, viii
Reference 672bis
Region** Southeast Asia
Inscription history
Inscription 1994, 2000  (18th, 24th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Ha Long Bay (Vietnamese: Vịnh Hạ Long) situates in Quảng Ninh province in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past Hạ 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. The bay has a 120 kilometer long coastline and covers approximately 1,553 square kilometers with 1969 islets. UNESCO designated Ha Long Bay a World Heritage site in 1994 and extended in 2000.[1] The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site includes 434 km² with 775 islets, the zone defined by Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area extends from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes.

Vietnam's origin myth points to Halong Bay as the place where Vietnam became. The myth represents dragons as the founders of the peninsula empire, which intervened to save the region, on the behest of the gods, from invading Chinese forces. The myth reveals several things. First, the relationship of Vietnam with China. As with other smaller kingdoms in Southeast Asia, great distances from the power centers of China on the coast in the north, Vietnam could successfully resist China's armies. Second, the origin myth of the dragon reveals the Vietnamese people's confidence that the gods have granted Vietnam a special protection and blessing. Third, the natural beauty and uniqueness of Halong Bay is revealed through the dragon origin myth. The myth portrays the creation of 1600 islands, shaped in unique forms out of limestone, as the result of the dragons spitting jewels and jade into the sea. Halong Bay has been nominated as one of the eight wonders of the world.

UNESCO Site

In 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism declared Halong Bay a National Renowned Landscape Vestige site.[2] UNESCO listed the bay as a World's Natural Heritage at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Phuket, Thailand on December 17, 1994), citing its exceptional aesthetic nature, as an outstanding natural site. On December 2, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in Cairns, Australia, UNESCO designated Halong bay a World Heritage Site for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria of that Convention.[3] The New Open World Foundation nominated Halong bay as one of the World's Eight Natural Wonders, the decision scheduled for August 8, 2008.[4]

Origin Myth

Local legend relates that when the Vietnamese fought invading Chinese armies, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land.[5] That family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. Those jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons decided to live in Ha Long Bay. The place where Mother Dragon flew down became Hạ Long, the place where the dragon children attended upon their mother received the name Bái Tử Long island (Bái: attend upon; Tử: children; Long: dragon), and the place where the dragon children wriggled their tails violently became known as Bạch Long Vỹ island (Bạch: white- color of the foam made when Children Dragon wriggle; Long: dragon, Vỹ: tail).

History

Mê Cung and Thiên Long archaeological sites in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long provide a look into Halong Bay's prehistoric period. Mounds of the remains of mountain shellfishes (Cyclophorus) and spring shellfishes (Melania), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labor tools have been found in the site. The Soi Nhụ tribe inhabited the region before 5000 B.C.E. They lived primarily by catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their way of life compares to other tribes in Vietnam during that period, including the Hoà Bình and Bắc Sơn. The Cái Bèo tribe (5000- 3000 B.C.E.), located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, developed fishing techniques that including using boats.

Halong Bay has been the setting for battles against invading navies. In the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands, the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing on three occasions. In 1288, General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol fleet.[6] During the Vietnam War, the United States navy heavily mined many of the channels between the islands, some still pose a threat to shipping.[7]

A community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses, sustained by fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).

System of isles and caves

Thien Cung grotto

Some 1600 limestone islands and inlets, covered by jungle vegetation, populate Halong bay. The effect of some many tightly packed, richly vegetated, limestone islands is remarkable. The islands, for the most part, are uninhabitable, the limestone terrain making living too difficult. Enormous caves exist on some the the islands, giving the sense of being hollow.[8] Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) stands as the largest grotto in the Halong area.

In the late nineteenth century, French named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Abundant stalactites and stalagmites furnish the three gigantic chambers. Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, the two largest islands in the Bay, have year-round residents, along with hotels and beaches. Many of the smaller islands, suitable only for short stays, have idyllic beaches.[9]

Floating villages, adapting to the inhospitable limestone islands, have taken root on some islands. They fish the bay for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks.[10] Islands often receive their names from the images their forms suggest, for example: Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 1000 islands have received names. Although the islands, for the most part, have proven impossible for humans to live year round, birds and animals inhabit them, including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas.[9]

Geology, Biodiversity, and Climate

The Kissing Rocks

A thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate, and slow tectonic process worked simultaneous to develop Ha Long bay's karst topography during the last 20 million years. For the past 500 million years, Halong bay has passed through several geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine regression. Halong bay had been open, deep sea during the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500-410 million years ago), becoming a shallow sea during the Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago).

Ha Long Bay hosts two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rain forest ecosystem and a marine and coastal ecosystem. Temperature ranges between from 15°C- 25°C. Annual rainfall measures 2000 mm and 2200 mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4 m). The salinity measures from 31 to 34.5 MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.

The bay is home to seven endemic species. The include Livistona halongensis, Impatiens halongensis, Chirieta halongensis, Chirieta hiepii, Chirieta modesta, Paraboea halongensis, and Alpinia calcicola. The many islands that dot the bay serve as home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 magnoliales, 12 pteris, 20 salt marsh flora and four amphibia, ten reptilia, 40 aves, and four mammalia.

Gallery

  • Ha Long Bay View, April 26 2007

  • Ha Long Bay, April 26 2007

  • Ha Long Bay

  • Ha Long Bay

See also

  • Ha Long

Notes

  1. ↑ UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  2. ↑ Halong Bay Wonder in Vietnam voting campaign launched, Footprint.
  3. ↑ Halong Bay - UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage Center Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  4. ↑ Seven Wonders of the World Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  5. ↑ View World Heritage Video Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  6. ↑ Halong Bay Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  7. ↑ Halong Bay History, Trip Advisor.com Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  8. ↑ Halong Bay, Smile Vietnam Travel.com Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Halong Bay: A Wonder of the World, halongbay-vietnam.com Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  10. ↑ Public vote sought for Ha Long Bay as world natural wonder, Travel84.com. Retrieved June 18, 2008

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bowermaster, Jon. Descending the dragon: my adventures along the coast of Vietnam. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2008. ISBN 978-1426203046
  • Dõ̂ Phương Quỳnh. Ha Long Bay and Quang Ninh Province: the face of Vietnam. Hanoi: GIOI, 1994. OCLC 221981510
  • Downs, Tom. Hanoi & Halong Bay. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet, 2007. ISBN 978-1741790924
  • Hill, L., and B. Wald. Scaling the Dragon's Spires: Drawn by natural arches and sheer cliffs, sport climbers tackle the Ha Long Bay islands of Vietnam. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. 192 (6) (1997): 110-119. OCLC 202484645

External links

All links retrieved July 22, 2017.


World Heritage Sites in Vietnam
Cultural Heritages
Complex of Hué Monuments · Hội An Ancient Town · Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary
Flag of Vietnam
Natural Heritages

Coordinates: 20°54′N 107°12′E


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