Legend Of Halong Bay - Halong Travel Guide

Regarding to the Legend of Halong Bay – In former time, Vietnamese ancient people believe in their origin as Dragon offspring hence they chose names of many places after this mythical creature. One of these locations was Ha Long Bay, means The Bay of the Descending Dragon. The story below will reveal how such a name was created and spread among Vietnamese folks:
“Long time ago, when Vietnam had its very first claim of national authority, Vietnamese people had to fight relentlessly against northern invaders coming across the sea. Seeing through the hardship of these honest people, the Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her children descending to the mortal world to help them defend their nation. When aggressive enemy’s ships were sailing directly to the mainland, Mother Dragon and her children dove into the sea and churned out numerous fire and gems. The gems were scattered on the sea and turned into various islands and islets forming stiff walls. The flames and walls caused all the ships to be crashed and burnt, thus enemy was intercepted and Vietnamese people could live in peace again. After gaining victory for Vietnam, the Dragons looked around and realized that the scene here was so beautiful with lush green trees; people were honest, hard-working and they lived in harmony with each other. Therefore, Mother Dragon and her children Dragon did not come back to the heaven but stayed right where the battlefield had just ended to protect Dai Viet people. They metamorphosed into human beings and helped people cultivate crops and breed cattle. In commemoration of the Dragons, people called where Mother Dragon landed “Ha Long” and where the children Dragon stayed “Bai Tu Long”, means “kowtowing Children Dragon”(who expressed their honor to Mother Dragon).”
Besides the legend about Halong Bay, many word of mouth stories about grottoes, islands and caves here were spreading among common people and are still to be told.
Most beautiful caves and grottos in Ha Long

Thien Cung Grotto

Located 4 km away from Tuan Chau tourist wharf, Thien Cung grotto belongs to Dau Go Island and boasts to be one of the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay. The way up to Thien Cung grotto is steep and covers with dense woods at both side of the track. Entering the narrow entrance, tourists will be amazed to see a vast space overhead of stalactites and stalagmites.
The further you are inside, the more surprised you get with the splendid, vivid beauty of the cave. The east wall looks like a gigantic carving where many fairytale characters emerged with delicate, stunning features. Legend has it that the cave was closely related to the King Dragon.
“There was time came a severe drought causing crop to be poor and people to be starved. Seeing that only the King Dragon can save human beings, people tried to beg for his generosity to create rain steadily. Many people tried to find the cave of his highness King Dragon but failed in vain. One day, a couple decided to set out and find the King. After that, rain did come but the couple were never to be seen again. When the couple left, they brought their daughter named May (means “cloud” in Vietnam) with them. After their family had come to Thien Cung cave (means “heaven court”), they stayed there to serve for the King Dragon. Had been growing up together, lady May and the Prince Dragon have fallen in love with each other, thus they decided to get married. Their wedding was celebrated in 7 days and nights in the center of the cave. To express their joy for the new couple, a group of Dragon hovered and interwove with one another on the top, elephants danced gracefully and other animals also participate for more happiness to the couple. Large pythons crawled and entwisted themselves with banyan trees, two lions danced with their manes flying up in the air, and some eagles were spreading their wings above the crowd. A well-adorned elephant was lying down, waiting for the couple to climb up…”
Four colossal stalagmite pillars in the center area make perfect backbones for Thien Cung cave. Emerging from these pillars, exotic figures like fish, bird, flowers and daily life of people are woven with one another. On the north-eastern wall, fairies are singing to celebrate the wedding. Numerous stalactites dangle on the cave roof and appear magnificent with colorful lights from different angles. Inside the cave, there are three limpid ponds where it was said that lady May bathed and raised 100 children of hers.

Surprising cave or Sung Sot Cave

Sung Sot Cave is located in the center of the World Heritage Site Halong Bay and belongs to Bo Hon Island. The cave is on the top of the largest and most beautiful caves in Halong Bay list with unique stone structures which exist nowhere else. Sung Sot Cave consists of 2 main parts. The roof of the first part is covered with a shimmering “velvet” layer, and numerous dazzling and glittering “cluster of lights”. Countless shapes like elephants, seals, flowers and leaves seem to swaying between the world of dreams and reality. The second part is even more stunning. It looks like a spacious opera house with a dome full of peculiar pattern. Reaching the top, tourists will behold a lovely garden, a serene lake and many animals and plants alike which all create a picturesque landscape. Sung Sot is a typical karst cave and holds high scientific value. At the entry, there stands a stalagmite horse with a long sword. The story behind them related to the legend of Thanh Giong. It was believed that after conquer the An invader, Thanh Giong helped people here to expel devils. When he completed his noble mission, he ascended to heaven and left his precious horse and sword to villagers so that they can live peacefully without worrying about demons. Nowadays, we can still see many natural images that look like the vestiges of the battle and also small ponds that was created by the horse footprints.

Thien Canh Son Cave

Thien Canh Son cave is a beautiful, primitive cave between Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. If Sung Sot and Thien Cung Cave have the beauty of grown attractive women, then Thien Canh Son has the blooming beauty of a young lady. Once you are in Halong Bay, visiting Thien Canh Son Cave is a must. The cave is bright and cozy with an amazing system of stalagmite and stalactite. These layers of rock have been formed in thousands years and look exactly like they are coming from a fairy tale. After 100 steps of stone stairs on the way out, tourists will be immersed in the splendid view of Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. On this platform, you are able to not only enjoy the scenery but also take wonderful photos. The cave is surrounded by a diverse primeval forest where many red book rare animals in Vietnam live. Right under Thien Canh Son is a white sandy beach where tourists can engage in various activities such as swimming, sunbathing or kayaking.

Best places for kayaking in Halong Bay:
Kayaking is absolutely a must for tourists coming to Halong Bay. This interesting activity can be enjoyed across the Bay. However, for more rewarding experiences, Luon Cave, Light and Dark Cave, Pelican Cave, and some floating villages are highly recommended.
Luon Cave

Located on Bo Hon Island, Luon Cave is a perfect place for tourists who want to experience kayaking. The cave looks like an arch which is 100 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 2 – 4 meters depending on the tidal flows. After passing through the cave, kayakers will behold the beauty of a serene lake surrounding by limestone cliffs and plants. These are actually belongs to a closed system of islets. On the cliffs, monkey are busy swinging from branch to branch, orchid flowers hang down and radiate their great scent across the lake. The distinctiveness of Luon Cave is attributed to its structure, diverse ecology and peaceful atmosphere.
Dark and Bright caves

If you are looking for kayaking through a mysterious place, Dark and Bright Cave is the place for you. These two caves is a complex of a broad, luminous cave and a narrow, opaque cave. Firstly, tourists will enter the Bright Cave. This cave always has two stream flows and it opens to a “valley on the sea”. The scenery here looks particularly like heaven, a range of cliffs covers tranquil water area and on that surface are people rowing to enjoy the quintessence of nature. The Dark Cave, on the contrary, only allows 1 kayak to paddle through it. As its name revealed, it looks dim and enchanting with its stalactite hanging from the roof. This is truly a place for relaxing and appreciating the beauty of nature.
Pelican Cave (Bo Nau Cave)

Located in the complex of Surprise Cave – Titop Island – Luon Cave – Trong Cave – Trinh Nu Cave, Pelican Cave is a small pristine cave with the form of a palate figure. The cave is about 200 meter square, the ground is large and flat and full of stalactite on the wall. There are three blocks of stone at the entrance that look like three genies playing chess. It is believed that the cave is called Pelican because there used to be many pelicans seeking shelter here in the afternoon. In the time of the Resistance War against America, Bo Nau Cave and Surprise Cave are among the stops for assembling forces, weapons and other necessity for a special Vietnamese military unit who are responsible for army ordnance on the sea. Pelican Cave has high aesthetic, natural value as well as historical and cultural value which was created by many Vietnamese generations. It is truly a picturesque attraction of Halong Bay in particular and Vietnam in general.

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