VungVieng is also known as Vong Vieng Village. Bai Tu Long and the VungVieng Fishing Village is off the beaten tourist track as it is not sonear to the popular Cat Ba Islandwhich has lodging, beaches and nearbycaves where most of the large tour companies and boats operate. There are about 50 families; the population is between 200 and 300 residents. This includes nearly 100 children.

These families have lived in this villagefor generations. The language is Vietnamese. The village is a "floatingvillage." There are no structures built on land. The village is verypoor. Traditionally income for food and potable water (imported from themainland) came solely from fishing. Now, there is some supplementalincome from tourism also.
Vong Vieng Village Gate


There are 4 fishing villages in the World Heritage site: Ba Hang, CuaVan, Vong Vieng and Cap La. Vong Vieng is the less touristy. Afterdisembark the mother boat, you will be transfer by rowing boats, tenderboats, or doing kayaking to enter Vong Vieng fishing village. Afterenter the village gate (see the picture), you have a chance toexperience the villagers’ daily life as well as the traditional cultureand customs of the fishermen, who live in the World Heritage Area of Halong Bay.

Their floating houses look spacious and clean. The well-off familieseven have tiled roof houses with radios, television sets, tables andchairs, etc. There is one community house here where villagers come tohave meetings. Here is also the place tourists stopover to shop sometraditional hand made items.

With the support of the tourists and travel companies like Indochina cruise , First Choice, Footprints, the village boasts a trainingestablishment for their children. Over an area of 100m2 lies oneclassroom and one small room for teachers.

It is interesting to see the rambunctious children going to “school”.Their bustling calling and their flopping rowing liven up the atmosphereof the quite bay. Looking at the small boats driven by tiny oars goingto school, and the radiant faces of the children, one feels confident ina bright future for the fishing village. Tourist can drop somenotebooks, pens to the village children.

(halong cruise)