The Descending Dragon

By Ginnie and Anthony

Ha Long Bay, or as translated, “Descending Dragon Bay” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located approximately 3.5 hours east of Hanoi. During our visit to northern Vietnam, we had the opportunity to take an excursion on one of the many junk boats that make its home among the 3000+ islets (though many locals claim there to be only 1969 due to it matching the year of Ho Chi Minh’s death). The bay is world famous for its striking limestone karsts of varying shape and size that are spread throughout the area. According to geologists, the limestone in Ha Long Bay has gone through over 500 million years of formation through varying conditions and environments. The karsts themselves have endured through a more rapid process of accelerated formations as a result of the past 20 million years in a home that hosts a very tropical and often wet climate.

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Halong Bay tops new world wonder poll

Halong, Vietnam’s world natural heritage, gained the highest growth in votes in the poll for the seven new world natural wonders on www.new7wonders.com last month.

The bay currently takes the lead in the poll, followed by South Korea’s Jeju Island.

On www.new7wonders.com, Halong Bay always took the lead in the last several days.

In May, Vietnam promoted its advertisement and canvas for the bay with many activities held in Vietnam and abroad.

Vietnam and South Korea have joined hands to vote for Halong Bay and Jeju Island. On website http://www.jeju-halong.com, the Vietnamese page, there are over 3,600 votes for the two landscapes.

The poll for the new seven world natural wonders is now in the last stage with 28 candidates. The winners will be announced on November 11, 2011.

Geological Value

Forget the dragon, it's all about geology

By MARY ANNE SHULTS
For the Daily Titan

One of my former geology professors said the best examples of geology existed in California and in the Western United States. Death Valley, with its mysterious sliding rocks, Mojave Desert offers “rock jocks” the chance to study all three rock types, and lastly, the Colorado Plateau contains three geological wonders – now national parks – the most well known is the Grand Canyon.

Junk boats cruise through Halong Bay among the vast limestone pinnacles that jut from the teal-colored gentle water.

I have to thank my instructors who have passed on their passion to me as I’m more of a geology hobbyist. This week I experienced one of the most beautiful examples of the combination of plate tectonics, sedimentary layering I’ve ever seen, set in the beautiful Halong Bay in northeast Vietnam. The area is acclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site of international geomorphological significance.

Vote for Halong in Museums

Vote for Halong Bay

International Cooperation Department and Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) have just launched a voting campaign for Halong Bay to become one of new seven wonders of nature in museums where attracts a great number of domestic and international tourists.

Voting campaign will be carried out at Vietnam Revolution Museum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Vietnam History Museum, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, President Ho Chi Minh Relic’s Site at the Presidential Palace during the last week of April.

Reportedly, for four weeks, the proportion of votes by foreigners have accounted for 72.39%. Meanwhile New Open World, the organisation launched the competition, encouraged at least 90% votes. 

Source: Hanoimoi

Explore Vietnam

Vietnamese Girl in Ao Dai - the traditional costume of Vietnamese women

Appreciation for the minor things

International travel is a great way to remind yourself of all the things you take for granted back home. Whether it's ice in your tea, reliable sanitation, or a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a frosty beverage, you will have a whole new appreciation for the small things in your culture. 

I should know. I've just returned from a two-week trip through Vietnam with my classmates in the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership program. 

We started our tour in the south, with a visit to Ho Chi Minh City, followed by a stop in the Mekong Delta. Then, we drove up Highway 1A to Hue, along the coast where we saw towering mountains and cliffs, amazing fishing villages, and all sorts of rice production. 

We drove through the town of Dalat, where we saw fields of vegetables and greenhouses of flowers clinging to the hillsides. We spoke with fish farmers, a farm family that raises sugarcane, and furniture makers. In Nha Trang we experienced a Buddhist temple and the beauty of the beach. And, we even spent one night on a boat in the middle of Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is simply breathtaking. 

Halong Bay from Titov island 

Halong Tourism Festival Week 2011 (Updated)

 

(Halong Carnaval 2010)

The main activities of the Festival Week include: Halong Carnaval, Unveiling Light Art Performance Center, Conference on voting campaign for Halong Bay to become one of the UNESCO world’s natural wonders, The best MC on Halong Bay contest, Music and poetry night on Halong, Open Quang Ninh tennis tournament and Classical music concert in Dau Go Cave.

Backstreet Boys coming Vietnam helps appeal votes for Halong Bay

The world-famous pop band Backstreet Boys’ performances (BSB) in Vietnam are taking place in March, following their tour to Latin America. BSB has a great number of fans here in Vietnam, who are now becoming irresistible to admire and wallow in their idols’ awe-inspiring voices.

Backstreet Boys’ live concert tours "This is us" at Military Zone 7's Stadium in HCM City (on 24.3.2011) and My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi (on 26.3.2011) are expected to be a great chance for Vietnam to introduce international friends about the people as well as the country’s culture and image.

Join Huong Hai Junks on Halong Bay

The accident of sunken Truong Hai 06 boat on February 17^th­, leaving 12 dead, on Halong Bay was the worst accident of Vietnam tourism. The principle reason was for the irresponsibility of the young captain and chief mechanic both lacking in rescuing skills. Their shipmen were inexperienced in the cruise ship branch.

It was irresponsible people that had a catastrophic effect on the province’s tourism in particular and on the country’s image generally.

Following the accident, the province set up an inter-sector delegation to examine all 166 cruise boats that are licensed to provide overnight service in the bay, including Huong Hai Junks.