Ha Long Bay

1,600 islands dropped by a dragon

Ha Long means 'where the dragon descended'. Legend says a dragon spat pearls at enemies, and they turned into islands! In the bay, 1,600 limestone islands rise from the water like towers, and some hide huge caves. People live here in floating villages and go to school by boat.

Ha Long Bay has 1,969 karst islands over 1,553 km² in the Gulf of Tonkin in northern Vietnam; 500-million-year-old limestone eroded over 20 million years in a humid tropical climate to form 'tower karst' (fenglin) — the finest example in the world. Islands rise to 100 m, many with caves (Sung Sot — 10,000 m²) and inner lakes. 200 fish and 450 mollusc species; the endemic Cat Ba langur (70 left). Floating fishing villages housed 1,600 people (most now resettled ashore). A UNESCO site (1994, 2000 for geology) and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (2011). 7 million tourists a year; cruise-ship pollution is the main problem. In 1288 the Vietnamese defeated a Mongol fleet here using stakes hidden underwater.

Fun facts

• Ha Long has 1,969 islands — one a day would take 5 years.
• In 1288 the Vietnamese sank Mongol ships with stakes hidden underwater.
• Some islands have lakes inside them — a 'sea within an island'.