In 1994, UNESCO included Halong Bay on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Since then, researchers have discovered 14 plant species and at least 60 animal species endemic to Halong.
Here are some photos from CNN Travel and a few interesting facts and captions about Halong Bay:
Caption 1: This bay is known for its limestone, rocky and high islands from over 1960, wealthy in tropical vegetation. It covers an area of roughly 579 square miles and is home to roughly 1,600 fishermen living in floating villages.
Caption 2: The soaring spiers of the famous Halong Islands rise above the shimmering coastal plains just like the towers of a huge cityscape.
Caption 3: Hai Au Airlines began operating Vietnam’s first business seaplane service from Hanoi in the summertime of 2014. There are already plans for small seaplane fleets in Danang and Ho Chi Minh City.
Caption 4: Ti Top Island; of all of the islands within the bay, Ti Top Island is the just one named after an individual. Uncle Ho himself named it after his friend, Russian cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich Titov, after they visited the island in 1962.
Caption 5: Halong’s best trash shouldn’t be only a floating viewing point, but brings significant income to the local people and is great at avoiding crowded waters.
Caption 6: Junks flies ceremonial flags to mark the twentieth anniversary of the inscription of Halong Bay as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Caption 7: Halong Floating Community; although the bay once supported many fishing communities, its protected status implies that only around 200 people now live in these floating communities.
Caption 8: Buddhist Community; many fishermen within the floating communities in Halong Bay are Buddhists.
Caption 9: Luxury Cruises; Along together with her Heritage Line sister ships Violet and Ginger, Jasmine is probably the most luxuriously appointed junks in Halong Bay.
Source: CNN Travel
