Located in northeastern Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago comprise roughly 160,000 acres of lush emerald waters with over 1,600 islands and islets. The name Ha Long, meaning “descending dragon” in Vietnamese, derives from the legend that a family of dragons descended from heaven, spraying jewels to defend the people from invaders. These jewels then transformed into the numerous limestone islands and islets, linking together to form a wall to provide ongoing protection from the invaders. From a scientific viewpoint, such landscape is rare in that it typically only forms on land. Today, the bay is home to communities of fishing villages on floating houses, and its beauty continues to inspire and attract people from around the world.
—Prepared by the World Tribune staff
June 7, 2024, World Tribune, p. 12
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