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***** Hạ Long Bay*****
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Hạ Long Bay
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party Vietnam
Type Natural
Criteria vii, viii
Reference 672
Region**
Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription
1994 (18th Session)
Extensions 2000
Location of Hạ Long Bay in Vietnam
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.
Hạ Long Bay (literally: "Descending Dragon Bay"; Vietnamese: Vịnh Hạ Long) is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam.
Administratively, the bay belongs to Hạ Long City, Cẩm Phả town, and part of Van Don district.
The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. Hạ Long
Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà
islands to the southwest. These larger zones share similar geological, geographical,
geomorphological, climate, and cultural characters.
Hạ Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km
2
, including 1,960 islets, most of which are
limestone. The core of the bay has an area of 334 km
2
with a high density of 775 islets.

[1]
The
limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and
environments. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20 million years under the impact
of the tropical wet climate.
[2]
The geo-diversity of the environment in the area has created
biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea shore biosystem.
[3]
Hạ
Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral species
[4]
and 60 endemic faunal species.
[5]
Historical research surveys have shown the presence of prehistorical human beings in this area
tens of thousands years ago. The successive ancient cultures are the Soi Nhụ culture around
18,000-7000 BC, the Cái Bèo culture 7000-5000 BC
[6]
and the Hạ Long culture 5,000-3,500
years ago.
[7]
Hạ Long Bay also marked important events in the history of Vietnam with many
artifacts found in Bài Thơ Mout, Đầu Gỗ Cave, Bãi Cháy.
[7]
500 years ago, Nguyen Trai praised the beauty of Hạ Long Bay in his verse Lộ nhập Vân Đồn, in
which he called it "rock wonder in the sky".
[8]
In 1962, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism of Vietnam listed Hạ Long Bay in the National Relics and Landscapes publication.
[9]

In
1994, the core zone of Hạ Long Bay was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site according
to criterion vii, and listed for a second time according to criterion viii.
[10]
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Etymology
• 2 Location
• 3 Climate
• 4 History
o 4.1 Soi Nhụ culture (16,000- 5000 BC)
o 4.2 Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000 BC)
o 4.3 Feudal period
• 5 System of isles and caves
• 6 Inhabitants
• 7 Awards and designations
• 8 Geology and geomorphology
o 8.1 History of tectonics
o 8.2 Karst geomorphology value
o 8.3 Timeline of geologic evolution
• 9 Biodiversity
o 9.1 Endemic species
• 10 Cuisine
• 11 Environmental damage
• 12 In literature
• 13 In popular culture
• 14 Tourist attraction
• 15 Gallery
• 16 See also
• 17 References

• 18 External links
[edit] Etymology
According to local legend, 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
then decided to live here. The place where the mother dragon descended was named Hạ Long,
the place where the dragon's children attended upon their mother was called Bái Tử Long island
(Bái: attend upon, Tử: children, Long: dragon), and the place where the dragon's children
wriggled their tails violently was called Bạch Long Vỹ island (Bạch: white- colour of the foam
made when Dragon's children wriggled, Long: dragon, Vỹ: tail).
[edit] Location
Hạ Long Bay is located 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 km long coastline and is
approximately 1,553 km² in size with about 2000 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the
World Natural Heritage Site incorporates 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 zone.
[edit] Climate
The climate of the bay is tropical, wet, sea islands, with two seasons: hot and moist summer, and,
dry and cold winter. The average temperature is from 15°C- 25°C, and annual rainfall is between
2000mm and 2200mm. Hạ Long Bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges
from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in the dry season and lower in the rainy season.
[edit] History
[edit] Soi Nhụ culture (16,000- 5000 BC)
Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long are archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên Long.

There are remains from mounds of mountain shellfish (Cyclophorus), spring shellfish (Melania),
some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labour tools. The main way of life of Soi Nhụ's
inhabitants included catching fish and shellfish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots.
Their living environment was a coastal area unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example, like
those found in Hoà Bình and Bắc Sơn.
[edit] Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000 BC)
Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its inhabitants developed to the level of sea exploitation.
[edit] Feudal period
History shows that Hạ Long Bay was the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal
neighbors. 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 Kublai Khan's fleet.
During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the
United States navy, some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.
[edit] System of isles and caves
Thien Cung grotto
The bay consists of a dense cluster of over 3,000 limestone monolithic islands (although locals
claim there are only 1,969 as this is the year of Ho Chi Minh's death), each topped with thick
jungle vegetation, rising 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 Hạ Long 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, Tuần Châu and Cat Ba, that have permanent
inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities including hotels and beaches. There are a number
of beautiful beaches on the smaller islands.
Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200
species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. 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 bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and lizards also live on
some of the islands.
Almost all these islands are as individual towers in a classic fenglin landscape with heights from
50m to 100m, and height/width ratios of up to about six.
Another specific feature of Halong Bay is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands.
For example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes. All these island lakes occupy drowned
dolines within fengcong karst.
[edit] Inhabitants
Floating fishing village
A community of around 1,600 people live on Hạ Long 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 through fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).
[edit] Awards and designations
In 1962, the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism designated Hạ Long Bay a
'Renowned National Landscape Monument'.
Hạ Long Bay was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994,
[11]
in recognition of its
outstanding, universal aesthetic value. In 2000 the World Heritage Committee additionally
recognised Hạ Long Bay for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value,
[12]
and its
World Heritage Listing was updated.
[13]
In 2009, the New 7 Wonders Foundation, which runs the New Seven Wonders of the World
program, included Halong Bay on its list of nominations as one the World's 7 Natural Wonders.
[edit] Geology and geomorphology
[edit] History of tectonics
The Kissing Rocks
According to scientists, Hạ Long Bay has experienced at least 500 million years in various

geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine regression. During the Ordovician
and Silurian periods (500-410 million years ago), Hạ Long Bay was deep sea. During the
Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago), Hạ Long Bay was at shallow
sea level.
[edit] Karst geomorphology value
Due to a simultaneous combination of ideal factors such as thick, pale, grey, and strong
limestone layers, which are formed by fine-grained materials; hot and moist climate and slow
tectonic process as a whole; Hạ Long Bay has had a complete karst evolution for 20 million
years. There are many types of karst topography in the bay, such as karst field.
[edit] Timeline of geologic evolution
Some of the most remarkable geological events in Hạ Long Bay’s history in the last 1,000 years,
include the advance of the sea, the raising of the bay area, strong erosion that has formed coral,
and, pure blue and heavily salted water. This process of erosion by seawater has deeply engraved
the stone, contributing to its fantastic beauty. Present-day Hạ Long Bay is the result of this long
process of geological evolution that has been influenced by so many factors.
Due to all these factors, tourists visiting Hạ Long Bay are not only treated to one of the natural
wonders of the world, but also to a precious geological museum that has been naturally preserved
in the open air for the last 300 million years.
Date Geologic period Events
570,000,000-
500,000,000
BC
beginning of the
Cambrian era
The area, which now forms Hạ Long Bay, was basically
mainland, submitted to a process of rain erosion.
end of the Cambrian
period
The area was flooded, commencing the existence of Hạ
Long Bay.

500,000,000-
400,000,000
BC
Ordovician and
Silurian periods
The area of north-east Vietnam was basically a deep sea,
submitted to the constant activity of tectonic plates.
end of the Silurian
period
It underwent a phase of inverse-motion that created
mountains deep under the water.
420,000,000-
340,000,000
BC
end of the Silurian
period and throughout
the whole Devonian
period
The area was subjected to powerful forces of erosion from
the hot and dry climate. At this point, Hạ Long was part of
a wide mainland that comprised most of today's East Sea
and Chinese continental shelf.
end of the Devonian
period
Due to tectonic activity, the Hạ Long area and the entire
north-east region were raised from the depths
340,000,000-
240,000,000
BC
later Carboniferous

and Permian periods
The formation of the limestone layer more than 1,000 m
thick. A shallow and warm sea reformed, which existed for
approximately 100 million years. It created two kinds of
limestone: the Cát Bà layer of the early Carboniferous
period (450 m thick); and the Quang Hanh layer of the
middle Carboniferous and the early Permian period (750
m thick). These two layers constitute the majority of the
islands of the Bay.
67,000,000 BC
end of the Cretaceous
period
Hạ Long Bay existed in the environment of a high
mountainous mainland due to the influence of strong
mountain-forming phases.
middle of the
Paleocene period
These motions remain continuous and stable, while strong
processes of erosion began, and after millions of years, a
form of semi-highland topography took shape. The
continuation of this erosion has progressively cut the
highlands into blocks with altitudes similar to today's
mountains
26,000,000-
10,000,000 BC
Neogene period The development of the Hạ Long depression
2,000,000-9000
BC
Pleistocene epoch of
the Quaternary period

The process of erosion began dissolving the limestone-rich
region of Hạ Long, after that, forming the limestone plain
was most active
68,000-9000
BC
middle and late
Pleistocene epoch
Period when the caves and grottoes of the area formed.
early Holocene period The islands of today’s Hạ Long Bay are basically remnants
of these mountains, flooded. Rainwater flowed into
crevices in the limestone that had formed from tectonic
activity. This steady erosion constantly widened the
cracks, eventually creating today's formations.
9000-5000 BC Holocene period This period is notable for the advance of the sea.
5000-2000 BC
The movement of the sea reached its peak and forming
today’s Hạ Long Bay.
2000-1000 BC
With the sea in a steady process of recession, Hạ Long
culture began to develop.
beginning of the late
Holocene epoch
The level of the water once again increased, forming a
marshy floor of canals and streams, and creating the water
marks that can be seen on the stone cliffs of today.
[edit] Biodiversity
Halong Bay is host to two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem; and a
marine and coastal ecosystem. The bay is home to seven endemic species.
[edit] Endemic species
• Livistona halongensis

• Impatiens halongensis
• Chirita halongensis
• Chirita hiepii
• Chirita modesta
• Paraboea halongensis
• Alpinia calcicola
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.
[edit] Cuisine
Seafood in Hạ Long is diversified. Cuttlefish- mực, oyster- hào, cyclinae- ngán, prawn
(penaeidea- tôm he, panulirus- tôm hùm, parapenaeopsis- tôm sắt ), sipunculoideas- sá sùng,
nerita- ốc đĩa, charonia tritonis- ốc tù và, and cà sáy, are among the varieties appearing in
popular local dishes.
[edit] Environmental damage
With an increasing tourist trade, mangroves and seagrass beds have been cleared and jetties and
wharves have been built for tourist boats.
Fuel and oil, along with tourist litter, have created pollution problems, which impact on both the
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem of the islands. Human waste from portable toilets erected for
tourists, finds its way into the soil and water surrounding the islands, once more altering the
ecosystem functioning, through increased nutrient flow.
Game fishing, often near coral reefs are threatening many endangered species of fish. Often fish
caught in the bay are not consumed locally but exported to other markets around the region.
The delicate limestone cave ecosystems are diminishing as tourists visiting the caves break off
stalagmites and stalactites. Litter, including wine bottles, are dropped into cave streams. Visitors
exhale carbon dioxide, which has a deleterious effect on the caves. The mouths of some caves
have been widened to allow for tourist access. This increase in light has led to an imbalance in
the delicate links between flora and fauna, and a decrease in the humidity of the caves.
[14]
[edit] In literature

In writings about Hạ Long Bay, the following Vietnamese writers said:
• Nguyễn Trãi : "This wonder is ground raising up into the middle of the high sky".
• Xuân Diệu : "Here is the unfinished works of the Beings Here is the stones which the
Giant played and threw away".
• Nguyên Ngọc : " to form this first- rate wonder, nature only uses: Stone and
Water There are 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 : "It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others".
• Pham Van Dong : "Is it one scenery or many sceneries? Is it the scenery in the world or
somewhere?".
• Nguyễn Tuân : "Only mountains accept to be old, but Hạ Long sea and wave are young
for ever".
• Huy Cận : "Night breathes, stars wave Hạ Long's water".
• Che Lan Vien :
"Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long- Dragons were hidden, only stones still remain
On the moonlight nights, stones meditate as men do "
Lord Trịnh Cương overflowed with emotion: "Mountains are glistend by water shadow, water
spills all over the sky".
[edit] In popular culture
• In Régis Wargnier's 1992 film Indochine, two characters drift around Hạ Long Bay for
several days following a pivotal scene.
• It was the theme of Robocon (Asia-Pacific Robot Contest) held in Vietnam in 2007:
"Discover Hạ Long"
[15]
• The band dredg wrote a song titled Hạ Long Bay.
• 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 Hạ Long Bay area.
• 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.
• It was featured in the penultimate episode of the UK television show "By Any Means" in
November 2008, when Charlie Boorman and his team were stranded in their boat.
• It was featured in a full length episode of the UK television show Top Gear, Series 12, on
28 December 2008.
[16]
• A background stage that looks very similar to Hạ Long as well as bearing a crate that has
the word "HALONG" written on it, is featured in Capcom's Street Fighter IV.
[edit] Tourist attraction
Hạ Long Bay is a famous tourist attraction in Vietnam. But several accidents happened in recent
years due to low safety standards. In February 17 2011, twelve died when their tourist boat sunk.
Most of them are foreign tourists, from Britain, Australia, France, Japan, USA, Russia, Sweden,
and Switzerland. Many tourists also died in similar accidents in 2002, 2006, and 2009. According
to BBC Vietnamese, some British and Australian tourists who visited Hạ Long Bay said that they
are "lucky to still be alive", and they are not surprised when accidents happen, as all tourist boats
are "very old"
[17][18][19][20][21]
SOME THINGS NEW ABOUT HA LONG BAY
PART 1
Many people have heard and known the beauty HaLongBay which is really a
invaluable natural heritage.On the 17
th
December 1994,UNESCO officially
recognized HaLongBay as one of the world’s natural heritages that needs to be
preserved.HaLongBay is located in the North.East of VN,in Quang Ninh
province.It’s eastern side is adjacent to Tuan Chau island,part of CatBa islands.It’s
southern is an island-line which speads from island of BaMun,HaMai to islands of
DauBe,MaiNha.The area of HaLongBay is about 1550km2 with more than 1600
islands in which 980 islands have been named
PART 2

HaLongBay is an archipelago of stony islands.There are some islands grouping
together in arrangements that inspire travelers to imagine.Travelling in
HaLongBay and looking at thousands of amazing objects,you’ll have a feeling of
being in a fairy land.Many stony islands were shaped by the creator such as Canh
Buom,Ga Choi… Besides,HaLongBay also has many caves such as Thien Cung,Dau
Go,Tam Cung…HaLongBay has a deversioy of ocenic eco-system including 1000
species of fish 730 of which have been named 160 species of coral,140 kinds of
seaweed and other ocenic plants
NOTES:
Km vuong doc la:square kilometer
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