HaLong Bay Vietnam Guide – UNESCO World Heritage

Halong bay Tours Vietnam Catba island

Capital: Ha Long city
Districts: Cam Pha town, Uong Bi town, Mong Cai town, Binh Lieu, Hai Ninh, Quang Ha, Tien Yen, Ba Che, Van Don, Hoanh Bo, Dong Trieu, Co To, Yen Hung.
Ethnic groups: Viet, Tay, Dao, San Chi, Cao Lan, San Diu, Hoa

Quang Ninh Province lies in the north-east corner oe Vietnam. To the north, it borders China with a 170km stretch, in the south, it borders on Hai Phong, to the east is Ha Long Bay, and to the west is Lang Son province. Its coastline is 250km long. The average temperature is 25oC. Coal resources are a steady contributor to the country’s economy, accounting for 90% of Vietnam’s production.Ha Long Bay is truly one of the world’s marvels, and hundreds of other historical, cultural and natural relics make Quang Ninh one of Vietnam’s largest tourist centres.The area has also witnessed heroic achievements against invaders, in particular the historical triumph on the Bach Dang river, which saw the defeat of Mongolian aggressors in the 13th century. Yearly festivals take place throughout the province remembering such events.

Festival in Quang Ninh

Cua Ong Temple Festival

Cua Ong Temple is one of the famous Tran Dynasty vestiges of the north-east region. The Cua Ong Temple is dedicated to Tran Quoc Tang, the third son of Tran Hung Dao, who defeated many enemies and brought peace to the region. Hoang Cau, a local general who fought bravely agianst invaders, is also honoured here.Yearly, the festivals at the Cua Ong Temple take place from the second day of the first lunar month until the end of the third lunar month. Formerly, locals organized festivities on the second day of the third lunar month. There were lavish cult ceremonies, and a procession carrying Tran Quoc Tang’s funeral tablets from the temple to a shrine in the village of Tran Chan. Legend has it that this was the place where Tang’s ashes drifted after being dispersed on the river. The procession would then proceed back to the temple, symbolizing the inspection tour of the Emperor.

Long Tien Pagoda Festival

The Long Tien Pagoda was built quite recently 1941, and is the largest pagoda in Ha Long City. It is situated at the foot of Bai Tho Mountain.
Some locals say that every day is a festive day at the Long Tien pagoda. Foreign and domestic tourists arrive for sight-seeing, while faithful burn incense and recite prayers to Buddha, especially on the first ad 15th days of each lunar month and at Tet holidays that they arrive in greater numbers.
The Long Tien festival is not reserved solely for Buddhist faithful, but hold a spiritual meaning for every local. When spring arrives, it is the festive season for the whole region. People arrive to burn joss-sticks, afterwards to continue on a pilgrimage to Yen Tu Mountain and finally to participate in the Cua Ong festival.

Festival of the 19 Founding Fathers

The Temple of the Founding Fathers can be found in the village of Cam La, on Ha Nam island. It is devoted to the cult of the 19 founding fathers: those who built dykes, creating the populated island seen today.Every year, the village starts the festival on the seventh day of the first lunar month. Legend has it, this was the day founding fathers discovered an underground spring on the island, more than 500 years ago.At the Tien Cong temple, dignitaries present themselves to the founding fathers, then choose four elderly men to assist them in the ritual of ground-breaking.
On the seventh day, the senior men of the village (all older than 70 ), along with their children and grand-children, carry offerings arrive at the temple to the decorative cult tables. The ceremony generally ends at noon.Afterwards, comes the groundbreaking ritual: the four chosen men pick four balls of earth and build a mock dyke before the incense table of the founding fathers. They then perform acts of wrestling to represent the “struggle against nature”. Afterwards, the party lasts into the night.

Tra Co Village Festival

Tra Co village is located 8km from Mong Cai. Tra Co festival takes place yearly from the 30th day of the fifth lunar month until the sixth day of the sixth lunar month to commemorate the founding of the village who built a communal house over 4000 years ago. Quan He, a leader of the peasants who rose up during the Le – Trinh period is also worshipped here. On the 25th day of the fifth lunar month, a procession of boats sails from Tra Co to the ancestors’ native land of Do Son. On the 30th day of the fifth lunar month, the boats return to Tra Co. The next day, festival begin with the procession of the King to the sea (also named the procession of the King to the shrine). After the ritual procession, there are agricultural contests, such as a pig-breeding competition. There is also a cooking contest, with the best cooks acquiring fame throughout the village.
On the sixth day, the festival concludes with flower dance. In this ritual, the population pray to the genies to allow them to catch many fish, have good luck in their trading activities and to have a prosperous lives.

Quan Lan Temple Festival

The Quan Lan Temple is located the central area of the ancient Van Don Harbour. The festival is organized yearly on the 18th day of the sixth lunar month, but the celebration lasts from the 10th to the 20th days of month. They are organized to commemorate the victory against the Mongol invaders in 1288, as well as the feats of Tran Khanh Du, a famous Tran general. They also pray for good “ harvest” from the sea. The 10th day of the sixth lunar month features the ritual of “closing the village “: the inhabitants cannot leave, but guests are welcome. The 16th day is reserved for receiving the genies. There is a procession for the funeral tablets of Tran Khanh Du from the temple to the village’s communal house.
On the 18th day at about 3:00pm (every year at this time the tide reaches the temple’s wharf ), the boats start. The “soldiers” of two sides waer in different ways. The two generals make sword-tracings in the air, and the two troops meet each other tree times : symbolizing the tree victories during the Tran Dynasty. Following the third meeting, they assemble before the shrine, and the rowing contest begins. During the rowing competion, the noise echoes throughout the region The Quan Lan Temple Festival bears characteristics of traditional village festivals, but is particularly grandiose, expressing the military spirit of the Vietnamese in the struggle against foreign invaders.

Yen Tu Pagoda Festival

The moutainous region of Yen Tu has been a centre of Buddhism for many centuries, and is the starting point of the Buddhist sect of Truc Lam. It is located in Thuong Yen Cong Commune, approximate of 15km from Uong Bi town. In the wide ensemble of vestiges in Yen Tu, there are 11 pagodas and close to 100 shrines and towers. Yen Tu festival begins on the ninth day of the first lunar month and last until the end of the third month. The ones assisting to the ceremonies not only express their devotion to Buddha and coomemorate a heroic episode of the country’s history but also admire the beautiful landscapes in this mountainous area.

Tourist attractions in HaLong –Quang Ninh

Ha Long Bay

Situated in the north-east region of Vietnam, the bay’s tranquil beauty encompasses 4,000 square kilometers, dotted with well over 1,000 limestone islands and islets, many of them without names. Bizarre rock sculptures jutting dramatically from the sea and mumerous grottoes have created an enchanted, timeless world. The sails of the junks and sampans gliding on the bay add further to the beauty of the scene. Ha Long Bay was made famous to Westerners in the French film Indochine.A boat trip from Hong Gai on the bay includes stops at some of the grottoes- the Bo Nau cave, the 2km-long Hang Hanh tunnel and Trinh Nu cave.The most spectacular of all the bay’s grottoes is the beautiful Dau Go cave, with its stalactites and stalagmites resembling beasts, birds and human forms. It was christened the Grotte des Merveilles ( Wonder Grotto ) by the first French tourists who visited it in the late 19th century.
Ha Long Bay has been the setting of many historic battles against invasions from the north. It is believed that the sharp bamboo stakes that general Tran Hung Dao planted in the Bach Dang River to destroy Kublai Khan’s fleet were stored in caves here.
The name Ha Long means the Landing Dragon, evoking an ancient dragon that in the mists of time is said to have descended in the bay.

Bai Chay Beach

Located along the coast of Ha Long Bay, there is a resort called Bai Chay. This is an ocean wind-swept resort which has a year-long average temperature 20oC.
Bai Chay is a low, gently sloping range of hills, which runs more than 2 km next to the sea, blending amongst the pine trees both lagr hotels, and small villas with distinguished architectural styles. Passing along the asphalted road, which is next to the bay’s coast, visitors can see the long white stretch of sand and green rows of casuarina-trees, tuckd under which are small family – run restaurants. After swimming at the beach, tourists can sit down and enjoy cold drinks and cool off in the breezes sweeping in from the sea.

Bai Tho Mountain

Bai Tho Mountain is 106m high. It runs along the coast, half on land and half in the sea. Sailing in the bay one or two hundred meter from the mountain, one can see a poem carved on a flat stone cliff. In 1468, Le Thanh Tong King, who was also a poet, paid an inspection tour of the northeast region. He stopped at the foot of the mountain. Inspired by the magnificicent beauty he found, he wrote a poem and had it engraved on the wall of the mountain. It is very interesting to climb the mountain and enjoy the panoramic view of the bay.

Dau Go (Driftwood) Grotto

The grotto is on Driftwood island ; formerly known as Canh Doc island. The name Driftwood Grotto came from a popular story of the resistance war against the Nguyen Mong agressors. In a decisive battle, Tran Hung Dao was given the order to prepare many ironwood stakes here, to be planted on the riverbed of Bach Dang river. The remaining wooden pieces found in the grotto have given it its present name. After 90 steps up the island, the entrance is reached. The grotto is devided into tree main parts. At the first chamber, many forms may be seen in the rock, depending on the imagination of the visitor of course. In the middle of the room, on the top of the pillar, there appears to be a monk draped in a long, dark cloak, with his right hand clasping a cane. Moving into the second chamber, visitors pass through a narrow ”door”, naturally formed erosion. The light here is mysterious, and new images appear in the stone. At the end of the grotto is a well of clear water surrounded by the room’s four ancient walls.
In this grotto, there remains an engraved stone stele singing the praises of Ha Long and the grotto ordered by Emperor Khai Dinh when he came to visit the grotto in 1917 .

Thien Cung Grotto

This recently discovered grotto is one of the most beautiful in Ha Long Bay. It is situated on the south-west side the bay, 4km from the wharf outside of Ha Long city. It is found in a small range of islands, that resemble a throne embracing in its core two superb grottoes. The way to Thien Cung is a perilous one, covered on both sides by thick forest. After entering a narrow gate, the grotto’s 130m long girth opens up.In the centre are four large pillars supporting the “roof of heaven”. From the base to the top, many strange images seem to live in the stone: birds, fish, flowers and even scenes of human life. On the north wall of the grotto a group of fairies seem to dance and sing in honour of the wedding. Under the immeasurably high roof, stalactites make a natural stone curtain with the sound made by the wind blowing through stone as a drum beating.At the last chember of the grotto, a natural gushing stream of water babbles throughout the year. Here are three small ponds of clear water. One path meanders out of the grotto.

Bo Nau Grotto

This grotto has the form of a frog’s mouth, about 200m wide. The bottom is wide and flat, but not deep, while stalagmites and stalactites just from above and below. At the entrance are three stones, looking like three monks with their heads close to one another. Two men appear to be playing chess , with the third serving as a referee. Bo Nau grotto faces the south and receives a very fresh wind. All day long, one can hear the sound of waves clapping against the cliffs.

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