|
QUANG NINH
Quang Ninh, Halong Bay
 QUANG
NINH
 Area: 5,938 sq. km - Population: 1,004,461 -
Capital: Ha Long City Districts: Vong Bi, Binh Lieu, Quang Ha,
Hai Ninh, Tien Yen, Ba Che, Dong Trieu, Yen Hung, Van Don, Hoanh
Bo, Co To. Economic potentialities: forestry, marine resources,
coal. Quang Ninh is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam.
It shares a 170–km border with China and is surrounded by Lang
Son, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, and Haiphong provinces. Several
ethnic groups live in this province, but the Kinh, Dao, and Tay
are the most numerous. The tropical, humid climate has an
average annual temperature is 25°C
HALONG
BAY
The bay covers an area of 1,500 sq. km and is
dotted with thousands of islands and grottoes rising from the
clear, emerald waters of Bac Bo Gulf.
 The United Nations
Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) have
recognized Ha Long Bay as heritage of the world. Situated in the
Northeast region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a bay in the Gulf of
Ton kin 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 120 km coastline. Halong Bay
is made up of 1,969 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
(Driftwood Grotto), Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), and Tam Cung
(Three Palace Grotto). Halong Bay has many links to the history
of Vietnam. For example, there are such famous geographical
sites as Van Don (site of an ancient commercial port), Poem
Mountain (with engravings of many poems about emperors and other
famous historical figures), and Bach Dang River (the location of
two fierce naval battles fought against foreign aggressors). It
has been proven by scientists that Halong was one of the first
cradles of human existence in the area at such archeological
sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu, and Thoi Gieng. It is
also a region of highly concentrated biological diversity with
many ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs, and
tropical forests featuring thousands of species of animal and
plant life. With all this in mind, the 18th meeting of the
Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on
December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a
natural heritage site of worldwide importance. ( Dau Go grottoes
- Trinh Nu (virgin) grotto-Trong (male) grotto - Thien Cung
(heavenly palace) grotto - Quang Hanh grotto - Bai Tho mountain
(poem mountain) - Tuan Chau Bai Chay ).
|
