| Ha Long Bay has an area of around 1,553km2, | | | | Đồn, in which he called it "rock wonder in the |
| including 1,960 islets, most of which are limestone. | | | | sky". In 1962, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and |
| The core of the bay has an area of 334km2 with | | | | Tourism of Vietnam listed Ha Long Bay in the |
| a high density of 775 islets.The limestone in this | | | | National Relics and Landscapes publication. In 1994, |
| bay has gone through 500 million years of | | | | the core zone of Ha Long Bay was listed by |
| formation in different conditions and environments. | | | | UNESCO as a World Heritage Site according to |
| The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken | | | | criteria vii, and listed for a second time according |
| 20 million years under the impact of the tropical | | | | to criteria viii. |
| wet climate. The geo-diversity of the environment | | | | History of halong bay |
| in the area has created biodiversity, including a | | | | Soi Nhụ culture (16000- 5000 BC) |
| tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea | | | | Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long are |
| shore biosystem. Ha Long Bay is home to 14 | | | | archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên |
| endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal | | | | Long. There are remains from mounds of |
| species. | | | | mountain shellfish (Cyclophorus), spring shellfish |
| Historical research surveys have shown the | | | | (Melania), some fresh water mollusk and some |
| presence of prehistorical human beings in this area | | | | rudimentary labour tools. The main way of life of |
| tens of thousands years ago. The successive | | | | Soi Nhụ's habitants included catching fish and |
| ancient cultures are the Soi Nhụ culture around | | | | shellfish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and |
| 18,000-7,000 BC, the Cái Bèo culture | | | | roots. Their living environment was a coastal area |
| 7,000-5,000 BC and the Hạ Long culture | | | | unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example, like |
| 3,500-5,000 years ago. Ha Long Bay also marked | | | | those found in Hoà Bình and Bắc Sơn. |
| important events in the history of Vietnam with | | | | Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000BC) |
| many artifacts found in Bài Thơ Mout, Đầu | | | | Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its |
| Gỗ Cave, Bãi Cháy. | | | | habitants developed to the level of sea |
| 500 years ago, Nguyen Trai praised the beauty of | | | | exploitation. |
| Ha Long Bay in his verse Lộ nhập Vân | | | | |