Halong Bay is a body of water of
approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre
coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China, and 170 kilometres
east of Hanoi. "Vịnh Hạ Long" —Halong Bay—means "Bay of the Descending Dragon"
in the Vietnamese language. Halong Bay is a body of water of approximately 1,500
square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf
of Tonkin near the border with China, and 170 kilometres east of Hanoi. "Vịnh Hạ
Long" —Halong Bay—means "Bay of the Descending Dragon" in the Vietnamese
language. 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 Halong Bay has been
the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On
three occasions in the labyrinth of channels between 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.
The surrounding land region of Halong City is rich with high grade coal deposits
(anthracite), and is operated by the Vietnamese government. Source: Wikipedia
▪ Midnight Swim in the Living Light
|
.jpg)