Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands andislets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because oftheir precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited andunaffected by a human presence. The site\'s outstanding scenic beauty iscomplemented by its great biological interest.

Ha Long Bay, situated in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1600islands and islets forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars.Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabitedand relatively unaffected by human influence.

Halong Bay Pictures  - About Halong Bay by Video

The geomorphology of Ha Long Bay is known as a drowned karstlandscape due to the exceptional combination of its limestone karstfeatures which have been subject to repeated regression andtransgression of the sea over geological time. The limestones of Ha LongBay have been eroded into a mature landscape of fengcong (clusters of conical peaks) and fenglin (isolated tower features) karst features, modified by sea invasion at a later stage.

The smaller islands are fenglin towers of 50m to 100m high withheight. Many have vertical walls on all or most sides and these continueto evolve by rock falls and large slab failures.

Marine invasion of Ha Long Bay has added an extra element to thenormal process of lateral undercutting of the limestone towers andislands. The most conspicuous feature being the main notch cut into theentire rocky coastline. Notches are a feature of limestone cliffsworldwide, but those of Ha Long Bay are exceptionally well developedand, at many sites, extend into arches and caves. This process ofundercutting and subsequent erosion maintains the steep faces of thefenglin karst towers and thereby perpetuates the spectacular nature ofthe landscape.

A distinctive feature of Ha Long Bay is the abundance of lakes within the larger limestone islands.

Extensive limestone caves represent another important feature of HaLong Bay, with three main types able to be identified: old phreaticcaves formed below the water table of the time; old karstic foot cavesformed by lateral undercutting of cliffs at base level; and marine notchcaves formed at sea level where rock structures are powerfully erodedand eventually reduced to a wave cut platform.

In summary, Ha Long Bay possesses a tremendous diversity of caves andother landforms which derive from the unusual geomorphological processof marine invaded tower karst. These areas provide a unique andextensive reservoir of data for the future understanding of geoclimatichistory and the nature of karst processes in a complex environment.

Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC

Historical Description

28 April 1962. Established as a historical and cultural relictand national scenic spot under Decision No. 313/VH VP, issued by theMinister of Culture.

(halong cruise.info)

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