Ha Long Bay | Description, Location, & Facts - Encyclopedia Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos Ha Long Bay Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images Quizzes Water and its Varying Forms Contents Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Water CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Ha-Long-Bay Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• Lonely Planet - Halong Bay, Vietnam
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ha Long Bay bay, Vietnam Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Vinh Ha Long Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Homework Help Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Ha Long Bay, bay on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Tonkin, near the city of Ha Long (Hong Gai), Quang Ninh province, northern Vietnam. Situated 102 miles (164 km) southeast of Hanoi, the 580-square-mile (1,500-square-km) area contains some 3,000 rocky and earthen islands, typically in the form of jagged limestone pillars jutting out from the sea, and several caves and grottoes, all of which blend together to produce an exotic and picturesque seascape. A diverse population of marine and land mammals, reptiles, fish, and birds are found in the waters and tropical forests.

There are two similar legends about the origin of the bay, which are reflected in its name. The first legend asserts that a dragon stomped on the earth with such force that mountains crumbled, forming large valleys that soon filled with water; only the peaks of mountains—now the rocky islands of Ha Long Bay—remained above the surface. The alternate folklore tells of a dragon whose large tail tore up the earth, creating valleys and crevices that became flooded when the beast jumped into the nearby water. Both versions lent themselves to the modern-day legend of Tarasque, a dragonlike marine creature believed to inhabit the bay.

Vietnamese: Vinh Ha Long (“Where the Dragon Descends to the Sea”) (Show more) See all related content

The discovery of numerous stone artifacts provided evidence of the Hoabinhian culture that flourished some 10,000 years ago, and there is also evidence for a specific Ha Long culture. As late as the 19th century the bay was used by Chinese and Vietnamese pirates, but in the 20th century human occupation of the islands in Ha Long Bay was relatively limited. There is a substantial population along the coastline that relies on the bay for shipping and fishing. Tourism is also a significant industry, with some visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary Tarasque. Plans to increase economic growth in the area by the addition of factories and residential districts are countered by efforts to conserve the biological and physical attributes of the bay. Part of Cat Ba, one of the region’s largest islands, was named a national park in 1986, and the entirety of the bay was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.

Britannica Quiz Water and its Varying Forms The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.