DISCOVER HALONG BAY IN YOUR STYLE !

DISCOVER HALONG BAY IN YOUR STYLE !

Halong bay or the bay of the Descending Dragon is often touted by proud Vietnamese as the world's Eighth wonder. One of the main attractions of Halong is the bay's calm water and the thousands of limestone mountains dotting the seascape. 

The Bay's water is clear during the spring and early summer. Some of the islands are quite large and there are small alcoves with sandy beaches where swimming is possible. Halong bay lies in the north-east of Vietnam and is 160 km from Hanoi.

Halong literally means descending dragons and according to local myth, the story goes as follows: Once upon a time, soon after the Viet people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent a Mother Dragon and her Children down to earth to help Viet people fight against their enemy. As the invaders' boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. They immediately spat out jewels and jade as beautiful as a handful of mens tungsten wedding bands. Upon hitting the sea, these jewels turned into the various islands and islets dotting the seascape and formed a formidable fortress against the invaders. The locals were able to keep their land safe and formed what is now the country of Vietnam. 

The Dragon family fell so much in love with this area for its calm water and for the reverence of the people of Vietnam that they decided to remain on earth. Mother dragon lies on what is now Halong bay and where her children lie is Bai Tu Long bay. The dragon tails formed the area of Bach Long Vi known for the miles of white sandy beaches of Tra Co peninsula 

This myth is in line with the Vietnamese myth of their origin Con Rong Chau Tien. This myth describes the union between a king (representing the dragon) and his bride (representing a goddess) giving birth to 100 children which are the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. The Halong myth illustrate the Vietnamese belief of their origin and the fact that throughout their history, they are aided by their ancestors, the dragon and the gods, in the defense of their land.