Ha Long Bay
Located 164 km from the capital Hanoi and not far from the border with China, there lies a place of enchanted and sublime beauty: Halong Bay, Vietnam. Its beauty is such that it has been not only a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994, but also, since November 11, 2011, the “second natural wonder of the world” (specifically meaning a “natural wonder,” distinct from the seven traditional wonders that involve direct human intervention); furthermore, in the Vietnamese language, Halong Bay means the bay “where the dragon descends into the sea.”
Ha Long Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin, in Vietnamese territory. It is part of the Quang Ninh province and comprises about 3,000 limestone islets with numerous karst caves. In the Vietnamese language, the term “Hạ Long” means “where the dragon descends into the sea.” Since 1994, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. The islands of Halong Bay, Vietnam, are scattered with caves, many of which are illuminated by multicolored lights.
