Watch sailboats sailing against the wind on Ha Long Bay.

Three-walled sailboats on Ha Long Bay. Photo: Nguyen Hung

These are unique three-walled sailboats that sail against the wind, typical of Quang Ninh province . A representative from the company that owns these sailboats stated that, initially, they will deploy three of them along the shores of Ha Long Bay, contributing to the backdrop for the Flower and Light Technology Boulevard in Ha Long Bay, which will take place from February 14th to February 22nd (from the 27th of the 12th lunar month to the 6th day of the Lunar New Year).

This is a type of sailboat that can sail against the wind. Photo: Nguyen Hung

In the long term, the unit hopes to complete seven more boats, with the aim of establishing a fleet of tourist sailboats operating along the coast of Ha Long Bay - a unique tourism product to serve tourists and locals.

Currently, the remaining three-walled sailboats are being completed by boat builder Le Duc Chan (born in 1950) at his workshop in Phong Hai ward, former Quang Yen town, now Lien Hoa ward, Quang Ninh province.

Artisan Le Duc Chan is the 17th-generation successor of the traditional three-walled boat-building craft in Quang Ninh. This is one of the unique and unparalleled types of boats - sailboats that sail against the wind.

When sailing with the wind, the sails are positioned in a butterfly style. When sailing with the wind, the mast is positioned in a tie-down style. The mast is angled to support two sails when sailing against the current and wind.

When the wind picks up, the boatman must tighten the stern mast at one side of the boat to draw the sail taut, slightly angled toward the front sail which has been slightly loosened. The wind strikes the taut stern sail, causing it to bounce back against the front sail, creating thrust that propels the boat forward. The boat will then tilt towards the side without wind, moving forward in a "chi" shape.

These three-walled sailboats, sailing against the wind, will be cruising along the shores of Ha Long Bay from now until the 6th day of the Lunar New Year. Photo: Nguyen Hung

These three-walled sailboats, sailing against the wind, will cruise along the shores of Ha Long Bay from now until the 6th day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse) 2026. Photo: Nguyen Hung

This is one of the most unique types of sailboats in the country and in the world .

Currently, there are not many people left who can build and operate this type of boat.

Since the 1990s, with the opening of border crossings and the influx of machinery and equipment into Vietnam, people gradually shifted to building motorboats, and the traditional three-walled sailboats gradually disappeared. Nowadays, no one orders three-walled boats anymore.

Therefore, if three-walled sailing boats are introduced to serve tourists, the local tourism industry will not only create a unique tourism product but also contribute to introducing and preserving the traditional craft of building boats that sail against the wind.

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/tin-tuc/ngam-thuyen-buom-chay-nguoc-gio-tren-vinh-ha-long-1652794.html