HA LONG BAY

Introduction to Ha Long Bay

- Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel
destination in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam.
- The name Ha Long means “ descending dragon”.
- Hạ Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km2, including 1,960–2,000
islets, most of which are limestone.
- The population of Hạ Long Bay is about 1,540, mainly in Cửa Vạn, Ba
Hang and Cặp Dè fishing villages.
- Residents of the bay live on the boats and raft houses to assist the fishing,
cultivation, and breeding of aquatic and marine species.

Ha Long Bay current’s situation

- Due to pollution, the condition of coral reefs in the deep sea floor of Ha
Long Bay is gradually disappearing.
- The bay's clear blue water is getting more dirty, leading scientists to warn
that Ha Long Bay can become a "swamp."
- The Ha Long Bay area has thousands of islands, the most of which are
limestone mountains that provide a good source of construction materials
and are convenient to exploit, so it is easy for the private sector to exploit
the area, causing landscape disruption.
- Tourists and the local community's awareness of environmental
preservation heritage is low. The issue of beggars chasing tourists still
exists, threatening to the heritage tourism environment.
Solutions
- The provincial government of Quang Ninh has banned speedboats from
servicing tourists in the bay area to conserve the bay's ecosystem and
biodiversity.
- Quang Ninh province relocated residents living on fishing boats to the
mainland to protect the water environment of Ha Long Bay.
- To avoid coal dust and peat contamination in the bay, prohibit loading
and unloading coal in the heritage area.
- The preservation of Ha Long Bay for future generations is reliant on
tourist awareness, and we need education and promotion to raise
awareness among all residents.