Posted by admin on December 31, 2010 under Halong Culinary | 
When visiting Halong Bay, Sai Sung is a delicious speciality that you should not miss.
The Sai Sung, or sandworm, also goes under the other local name of Con Mồi. Its original residence is the island district of Van Hai, chiefly in the villages of Minh Chau and Quan Lan.
Alive Sai Sung
The animals live in beaches, and the local population digs them out as the tide ebbs. Sai Sung digging requires experience and technique. The dug-out Sai Sung will be browned in fat and then eaten with fresh onions.
Dried Sai Sung, when roasted, has a yellow color and a salty sea odour. When dipped into chilli and mixed with leaves of diep ca (a strong-tasting vegetable), not to mention with a good beer, it is a local favourite.
Dried Sai Sung
Roasted Sai Sung
Posted by admin on December 30, 2010 under Halong Attractions |
If you’re wanting to visit Ha Long Bay, but want something less touristy, Quan Lan island is worth a visit. Situated in a group of islands on Bai Tu Long Bay, Quan Lan is endowed with many advantages, boasting not only beauty spots but also historical and traditional values.
Quan Lan beach
It has an area of 11 sq. km, and features eight populated hamlets. Quan Lan Island stretches toward East – West from the foot of Van Don Range to the Got Mount with many high mountains to the east barring waves and winds, protect the villages. The island is situated on an important navigation route that connects China, Japan, Thailand and Philippines to Vietnam. Along two sides of the island are tens kilometres of sand beaches. This is the endless resource for glass making which the sea gives to man and it is also the extremely interesting tourism.
Since the 11th century, Quan Lan had been one of the centres of the ancient commercial port of Van Don, which was animated and prosperous at the time. Today, there are still many vestiges linked to the ancient commercial port. This also explains why the island, lying deep in the sea, has the large pagodas and archaeological sites seen today. On the island there is the Quan Lan Communal House built in the 18th century; exceedingly beautiful and almost entirely preserved. Next to it is Quan Lan Pagoda (Linh Quang Tu), which is dedicated to Buddha and God Lieu Hanh.
Quan Lan commune house
The pagoda also worships the statue of old Hau, a local person who made lots of contributions to the construction of the pagoda. The statue features a gentle and cheerful old woman, which adds an original character to the pagoda. Beside Quan Lan Pagoda lies Nghe Quan Lan (Duc Ong) Shrine, which is dedicated to Pham Cong Chinh, a local people who participated in the historical Vân Don battle against the Yuan invaders. He was later honored as a god. Quan Lan has many valuable sea products such as octopuses, butterfish, mackerel, holothurian, shrimp, and sái sùng.
Posted by admin on December 29, 2010 under Halong Festivals |
Besides many beautiful attractions and excellent Halong hotels, Quang Ninh is also famous for many exciting festivals every year. The Bach Dang Festival is organized at Tran Hung Dao Temple – Vua Ba Shrine and other temples and communal houses in Yen Hung District, on the ninth day of the fourth lunar month, some years last 4 days and nights.
The festival celebrates the Bạch Ðằng Victories of national heroes struggled against foreign aggression: Ngô Quyền (938); Lê Hoàn (981); and Trần Hưng Đạo and the famous generals of the Trần Dynasty (1288).
Bạch Đằng River has been etched into locals’ memories as a site where national heroes struggled against foreign aggression. These included: Ngô Quyền who planted sharp wooden stakes into the riverbed to defeat a Chinese invasion force (938); Lê Hoàn (981); and Trần Hưng Đạo and the famous generals of the Trân Dynasty (1288).
The ceremonies are comprised of the usual incense burning and offerings in Trần Hưng Đạo Temple and Vua Bà Temple. The populations of the village stage a procession along the banks of the river, and also have a boat race. Bamboo leaf-shaped kayaks gliding across the water surface with the shouting of spectators celebrate the victories of days gone by.
Along with the boat races, other entertainment is organized for the festival, such as wrestling, human chess playing, and cock-fighting.
Posted by admin on December 28, 2010 under Halong Attractions |
Cat Ba island
Cat Ba Island is situated in Ha Long Bay, 50 km to the east of Hai Phong City, in Northern Vietnam. It is the largest of 366 islands in the Cat Ba Archipelago, and has a surface area of about 140 square km. The Cat Ba Archipelago shares the distinctive rugged appearance and scenic beauty of the Ha Long Bay Area that was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, in 1994. The area is one of the best examples in the world of a Karst landscape invaded by the sea. Some 1500-2000 large and small islands and cliffs rise steeply from the shallow marine waters. Many of these islands reach towering heights of 50 to 100m with sheer vertical cliffs on all sides. Spectacular rock relief and bizarre rock formations provide evidence of a long history of erosion and landscape evolution through the sculpturing power of water. The greatest part of the islands’ mountain range like most of the smaller offshore islands of the Archipelago, are covered by tropical moist limestone forest. Cat Ba Island also has coral terraces, sandy beaches, freshwater wetland areas, tidal flats, mangrove forests and willow swamp. Spectacular scenery and a high diversity of landscapes make Cat Ba a special place and it has become a main destination for national and international tourists.
Cat Ba National Park was established in 1986. After a re-arrangement of the park boundaries in 2006, the park now comprises of 109 square km of land area and an additional 52 square km of inshore waters and mangrove covered tidal zones. Cat Ba National Park was Vietnam’s first national park to include both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Cat Ba national park
Cat Ba Island, its national park and the surrounding area are nationally and internationally recognized for their importance to biodiversity conservation, exemplified through the recognition of the Cat Ba Archipelago as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve, in 2004.This is not only because the area has a high number of different ecosystem and habitat types, but also because it possesses a great variety of plant and animal species, many of which, like the Cat Ba langur, are now rare and endangered.
About 1400 vascular plants, including 23 Endangered and Critically Endangered species (Red Data Book of Vietnam; IUCN Red List) have so far been recorded. Large and partly endangered mammals include the Cat Ba langur, the Southern Serow (Naemorhaedus sumatraensis), Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor), and civet cats (Viverricula indica, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). The cave, land snail and butterfly fauna is rich including the most northerly cave-adapted crab species, plus four species of true cave snails. The region is considered a hotspot for land snail diversity and might also be conserving a considerable number of bat species including rare ones.
In 2007 a reptile survey was conducted in Cat Ba National Park by Dr. Thomas Ziegler, from Cologne Zoo and Nguyen Quang Truong, from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, in cooperation with the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project. It led to the discovery of the Cat Ba Tiger Gecko (Goniurosaurus catbaensis), endemic to Cat Ba Island, adding to the list of endemic and rare species and once more emphasizing the need for nature conservation on the island.
Posted by admin on December 27, 2010 under Halong Hotels |
Ideally located in the heart of Halong tourist area, just a minute’s walk to the beach and Halong Tourist Harbor, Sunrise Halong Hotel is very convernient for guests with shopping and banking facilities, as well as eating and entertainment options all very close by.
Sunrise Halong Hotel has gracious amenities and the highest standards of comfort in its 50 guest rooms and luxury suites. The wonderful experience is taken a step further with its international-standard services and traditional hospitality unique to Halong and, indeed, Vietnam.
Each of its 50 tastefully arranged deluxe rooms is complete with a view of Halong Bay, movie channels, minibar, air conditioning, bathtub and plus complimentary tea in the room.
Sunrise Halong Hotel provides the very highest standards for our guests, and no more so than in the quality of our service. The emphasis is on elegant, contemporary and traditional dishes combined with elements of the freshest ingredients, in a range of innovative dishes from our chefs.
The all-day international buffets are prepared by the most creative chefs to let breakfast indulge in cuisine from every corner of the world. The restaurant is the perfect place for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Posted by admin on December 25, 2010 under Halong Festivals |
A popular saying goes: “Even after 100 years of virtuous religious life, if you don’t come to Yen Tu you cannot be called a true religious person”. Pilgrimage to Yen Tu Festival in respect of Buddha and sightseeing is so meaningful…
Yen Tu Festival commences annually on the 10th day of the first lunar month and lasts for three months. Tens of thousands of pilgrims begin their journey to the uppermost shrine after a solemn ritual held at the base of Yen Tu Mountain.
During the festival, the people near and far flock to Yen Tu which was regarded as the Buddhist land to show their belief and aspiration or to get rid of all sorrows and sadness. Other go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region. Foreign visitors come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist attraction. Many cultural and historical values are carefully preserved in Yen Tu, where is also home to a rare ecosystem in Vietnam.
In the wide ensemble of vestiges in Yen Tu, there are 11 pagodas and hundreds of shrines and towers. One form of entertainment is to climb the peak to where the Dong Pagoda was built (1,068m above the sea). On the way, you will see pagodas, a tower, a stream and a forest. At the top, after having burned joss-sticks, you seem to be lost in nature somewhere between the sky and the earth. When clear, you can perceive almost all of the northeast area from here.
The route of the pilgrimage from the foot of the mountain to the pagoda is nearly 30 km. The highest point of Yen Tu is Dong Pagoda, which is located 1,068 m above sea level. You can get to Hoa Yen Pagoda at the altitude of 534m by the cable car system recently put into operation and will see on this peak two 700-year-old frangipane trees. From there, you will continue walking up stairs to pagodas of minor note lined up along the path leading to Dong Pagoda. There you will feel like walking on clouds. If the weather is agreeable, from this summit you can admire the dramatic landscape of the northeast of Vietnam.
The complex of historical sites and beauty spots in Yen Tu features various pagodas, shrines or stupas now appearing now disappearing under the thick foliage of the primary show their belief, or doing away with all sorrow and sadness. Others go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region. Foreign visitors come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist attraction. Anyone who makes all the way to the Bronze Pagoda feels the magnificence of Yen Tu and forests. Atop Yen Tu Mountain, one feels like standing by the Heave Gate shrouded in white cloud. On clear days one can have a partial view of the northeastern region…
Source: http://vietnamhotels.net
Posted by admin on December 24, 2010 under Halong Bay Overview |
National Geographic magazine has ranked Viet Nam’s Ha Long Bay sixth in a list of the world’s 10 best sailing cruises.
The magazine describes Ha Long Bay as consisting of “strangely sculpted limestone islands and outcrops, dotted with small floating villages and deserted sandy beaches. In spring and early summer the water is particularly calm and clear. This UNESCO World Heritage site is best explored by a cruise on a junk.”
The list also included the Nova Scotia and Labrador Tall Ships cruise in Canada; US Washington state’s San Juan Islands; a Pirate Cruise of the Grand Cayman Island; the Star Clipper to French Polynesia; a Junk Cruise in Andaman Sea, Thailand; the Seychelles Islands; a Dhow Cruise through the Strait of Hormuz, Oman; Lamu Island, Kenya and the Evia Island Cruise, Greece.
Last month, the Lonely Planet magazine also introduced the Ha Long bay
as one of the world’s top ten best boat journeys.
Source: VNS
Posted by admin on December 23, 2010 under Halong Attractions |
The Trinh Nu Grotto or Virgin Grotto is situated on the island range of Bô Hon in the system comprising the Sung Sôt Grotto, Dong Tiên Lake and Luon Grotto. It is 15 km south of Bai Cháy Beach, Halong. For fishermen, the Virgin Grotto is their house, but for young lovers, it is considered as the symbol of truly love, and is the romantic place for taking oath of love.
Entering Trinh Nu Grotto, one finds in the middle of the grotto a stone statue of a lying-girl with her long hair hanging down who is looking to the sea in a vain hope.
Situated opposite to Trinh Nu Grotto, Trong (or Male) Grotto has a stone statue of a boy who turns his face to Trinh Nu Grotto. One still hears his vain scream in tune with the wind blowing into the cliff somewhere.
Legend has it, there once was a beautiful fisherman’s daughter, whose family was so poor that it was in the service of the rich administrator of the fishing zone. He forced the family to give him the girl as a concubine. She already had a lover who at that time was on the high seas catching fish to prepare for their wedding. The administrator, angered by her refusal, exiled her to a wild island where she suffered from hunger and exhaustion. On one frightening night, amidst terrible rain and winds, she turned to stone.
It was also the night that her lover knew of her danger, and he rowed his boat in search of her. On the terrible night, the tempest destroyed his boat and he floated to one of the islands. In a lighting flash he saw his mate in the distance, but his calls were driven away by the wind. He used a stone block to hammer down on the mountain cliffs to announce to her he was nearby. He struck until blood flowed from his hands, and in his final exhaustion, turned to stone (today’s Trong Grotto).
Tourists also find Trinh Nu Grotto attractive partly because of its association with a fanciful love legend: “Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl who deeply loved each other. However, they were so poor that they could not be able to get married. The boy decided to go offshore fishing with a hope that he could get enough money for his marriage. And the girl painfully waited in vain for her fiancé. She finally took a small boat and rowed to the sea to look for him. So immense is the sea, and so many are the islands, the boy, therefore could not hear her doleful call, though he was just several canals away. Exhausted, the girl lied in a grotto, looking to the sea and got petrified after the last call. The boy got lost in a grotto nearby, shouting to call the girl in vain. The echo of their call through the cliff was so moving. At last, the boy became exhausted and petrified in the grotto – present-day Trông Grotto.”
Today, whenever passing this place, tourists can still hear his faint call.
Posted by admin on December 22, 2010 under Halong Attractions |
Ha Long Bay, one of the World Heritages, comprises thousands of big and small islands. Each one has its own characteristic with various caves: Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung Cave, Trinh Nu Cave. Tuan Chau Island is the only soil island of all. It is not only a place having beautiful natural surroundings: pine trees, lakes, beautiful beach…but also where President Ho Chi Minh chose to be the relax place of other State officials’ and his when they came here in 1959.
Tuan Chau Holiday Villa
On the total area of 400 ha, Tuan Chau has the population of 1500. As planned, the total area of Tuan Chau will be widen to 675 ha. It enjoys the advantage of having both road and river transportations. It is about 18 km away from National Highway No.1. This route is an important blood vessel of the robust Hanoi – Hai Phong – Quang Ninh economic triangle. It takes about 3 hours from Mong Cai ( 2 hours by boat) and 1 hour from Hai Phong.
Tuan Chau island’s name is the combination between ‘linh tuan’ (the patrolman) and ‘tri chau’ (district chief) because in the feudal time, the royal army set up a guard station here to patrol and defend the borderland. Prior to 1999, the island’s residents suffered from a very modest living standard.There was no power network and no clean water. Roads were only trails and there was no mechanical means of transportation. Tuan Chau was a very poor town where fishing with very rudimentary tools is the only means of living.
The first project of great significance was to link Tuan Chau and the National Highway No18 by building a road. The work was officially started on February 28th, 1998. All company staff had to overcome numerous hardships to achieve this difficult task, which translated people’s dream into reality.
Posted by admin on December 21, 2010 under Halong Hotels |
Thousands of limestone islands shrouded in mist, a dramatic canvas rising from the sea, centuries-old stories being told through the wonders of nature – all contribute to make a cherished heritage relived and experienced at Novotel Ha Long Bay.
Set amidst a mystical landscape overlooking the stunning Halong Bay Vietnam, the 4-star Novotel Ha Long Bay is one of the Luxury hotels Vietnam which offers a glimpse into the contemporary Vietnam, while recalling a story of the country’s intricate past through its elegant interior decor. A vision set in polished stone, glass and marble against delicate Asian textures – silk, wickerwork and carved wood – accentuated by splashes of bright colors and elaborate design centerpieces – will fascinate all guests who have chance to stay here. With sweeping windows and over-sized mirrors, the hotel captures panoramic views of Ha Long Bay and its spectacular seascapes at every turn.
