The scenic beauty of Ha Long Bay is an existing visual element that has left a deep impression in the mind of many generations of Vietnamese people as well as international friends. Contrary to its fame, many features of this natural wonder still remain unknown to the public’s eyes.
The origin of the name “Land of the Descending Dragon”
Legend has it that at the dawn of Ha Long Bay’s formation, a marine battle broke out between the local people and foreign invaders. During the battle, a Mother Dragon and her babies descended to help the local people fight their enemy. As the Baby Dragons landed on the water surface, they immediately turned into limestone mountains scattered on the bay to stop the enemy’s ships from moving forward. Since the enemy’s ships failed to avoid these mountains in time, they crashed into the rocky mountains and broke into pieces. This area was later named Bai Tu Long Bay (meaning “the Bay where the Baby Dragons descended”) in memory of the Baby Dragons’ merits. As the battle came to an end, the Mother Dragon stayed beside her children and never returned to the sky kingdom again. Eventually, she turned into a limestone mountain and since then the area was named after this myth as “Land of the Descending Dragon” or the Vietnamese name more familiar to our perception, “Ha Long Bay”.
The only destination to be honored twice as the Natural World Heritage and one of the new seven natural wonders of the world
The fact that Ha Long Bay possesses unique features that are well known globally, among which stand out its geological and geomorphologic values, has gained it the title of Natural World Heritage, honored twice by the UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Also for its breathtaking natural beauty, Ha Long Bay has surpassed more than 400 representatives from 200 different countries and territories to earn a rightful place in the list of Top 7 new natural wonders of the world. A charming harmony between exceptional scenic beauty and great biological interest creates a unique wonder the world has ever witnessed.
The filming site of a Hollywood Blockbuster
Along with Trang An (Ninh Binh), Ha Long Bay with its mysterious and spectacular beauty was chosen to be one of the main shooting locations for the Hollywood Blockbuster - Kong: Skull Island. The film crew members chose Ha Long Bay as the background for the fictional island where Kong and other legendary monsters reside. Ha Long Bay’s raw, powerful and unspoiled landscape featuring magnificent limestone mountains rising on emerald waters not only conquered the Hollywood filming crew but also film critics, domestic and international audiences around the world. Various positive reviews have been recorded ever since the movie hit theaters across the globe, proving the movie’s success. At the end of July 2018, the first short movie showcasing the beautiful scenes of Ha Long Bay appearing in Kong: Skull Island was introduced to Vietnamese audiences and international admirers by the Kong’s filmmakers.
