Tuan Chau Island Of Halong Bay

Ha Long, one of the World Heritages, comprises thousands of big and small islands. Each one has its own characteristic with various caves: Sung Sot Cave,Thien Cung Cave, Trinh Nu Cave. Tuan Chau Island is the only soil island of all. It is not only a place having beautiful natural surroundings: pine trees, lakes, beautiful beach…but also where President Ho Chi Minh chose to be the relax place of other State officials' and his when they came here in 1959.

On the total area of 400 ha, Tuan Chau has the population of 1500. As planned, the total area of Tuan Chau will be widen to 675 ha. It enjoys the advantage of having both road and river transportations. It is about 18 km away from National Highway No.1. This route is an important blood vessel of the robust Hanoi – Hai Phong – Quang Ninh economic triangle. It takes about 3 hours from Mong Cai ( 2 hours by boat) and 1 hour from Hai Phong.

Halong Bay - Quang Ninh Province - Vietnam

Ha Long Bay is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bac Bo Gulf, including the sea area of Ha Long City and Cam Pha Town and part of Vân Don island district. It abuts Cat Ba Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the shore with a 120 km-long coastline. It is located within 106o58’-107o22’ east longitude and within 20o45’- 20o50’ north latitude. The site is 1553 sq. km with 1969 islands of various sizes, of which 989 have been named.

The legend of HaLong Bay

The legend of Hạ Long has it that, “Once upon a time, soon after the Việt people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Việt people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.

HaLong Bay - Introduce

Ha Long Bay (Gulf countries where the dragon landed on) is a small bay on the west coast of Tonkin Gulf in the North South Sea of Vietnam, including the island seas of Ha Long City, Cam Pha Town and part of the Van Don island district.

As the center of a large area there are many similar factors in geology, geomorphology, landscape, climate and culture with Bai Tu Long bay (northeast) and Cat Ba Island (southwest ), Ha Long Bay restricted area of ​​1.553km ² including 1,960 islands, mostly limestone islands, of which the core zone of the Gulf has an area of ​​334km ² to focus 775 clustered dense island . Tectonic history of the Bay limestone spent about 500 million years old geographical circumstances are very different; and karst evolution fully experienced over 20 million years with a combination of factors such as thick limestone floors, hot and humid climate and tectonic processes slowly improving overall. The combination of environment, climate, geology, geomorphology, Ha Long Bay has made to become clustered biodiversity of forest ecosystems, including closed moist tropical evergreen rain and marine and coastal ecosystems coast with little ecosystem. 14th endemic plant species and about 60 endemic species of animals have been discovered thousands of plant and animal populations residing in the Gulf.

HaLong Bay -The World Heritage site - The junks

We sailed and slept aboard one of these junks. Ours was very nice indeed--polished wood, clean, fairly warm (inside), and the staff served good meals. Being the solo-traveller, I got a cabin of my own.

HaLong Bay -The World Heritage site

Ha Long Bay is stunning--or perhaps it would have been in some sunshine! It was downgraded by our cold, shivering group to merely "uniquely beautiful". A huge bay chock-a-block FULL of dramatic limestone islands (karst formations, such as in Guelin, China or Phang Nga Bay, Thailand...but I think it was the best of the lot), which shoot vertically up out of the sea and into the sky. Pretty darned cool