Brief history

Ha Long is about 180km from Hanoi and covers an area of over 1500 sq km but only 434sq km are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site  (designate as such in 1994).
Ha Long is situated in north Vietnam with a 120 km coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China.
Ha Long bay means bay of the Descending Dragon in Vietnamese langue. “Ha” means “descending” and “long” means “dragon” in Sino Vietnamese
 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 descended upon what is now Ha Long Bay (hence the name "Bay of Descending Dragons") and began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form barriers against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam.
History shows that Ha Long bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam’s coastal neighbors. On three occasions in the labyrinth lf 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.
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.

Highlights
Ha Long bay is one of the most beautiful places on earth. With its picturesque blend of land and sea, this one of the world’s most precious beauty spots . Dotted with thousands of rocky island it really is a natural sculpture on a gigantic scale

• Thien Cung grotto
• Do go (cave of wooden stakes): This 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).
• Bai Chay (Scorched Beach)
• There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and 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
• Hang Bo Nau (Pelican Cave)
• Hang Trinh Nu (Virgin Cave)
• Hang Sung Sot (Cave of Awe)