Ha Long Bay - The giant geological museum of mankind

Ha Long Bay is not only famous for its magnificent beauty of the sea and islands, but also a giant geological museum, where important traces of the formation, movement and development of the earth's crust in this area are preserved.

"Wonder of earth erected in the sky"

Ha Long Bay is a type of island terrain mixed with sea depressions, tidal flats with mangroves growing and limestone islands with steep cliffs that are very contrasting with each other. The rocky islands are mainly limestone islands (over 90%), with different heights (from 50-200m). The bay has an area of ​​1,553 ^km2 including 1,969 islands (of which 980 islands have names). Ha Long Bay encompasses many values, which are aesthetic, geological-geomorphological, biodiversity, cultural-historical values. It is worth mentioning that in every aspect, we can see the excellence, the special values.

Sail Island - Ha Long Bay.

With thousands of large and small islands, Ha Long Bay is like a geological park of the sea. Thousands of rocky islands, whether anonymous or named, contain historical sediments. Therefore, long ago, the great national poet Nguyen Trai praised Ha Long Bay as "A wonder of the earth built in the sky" because of its majestic and poetic beauty. Hundreds of rocky islands, each with a different and extremely vivid shape. And those seemingly lifeless rocky islands have been given their own names: Dau Nguoi Island, Rong Island, Yen Ngua Island, Canh Buom Island, Ga Choi Island, Lu Huong Island... These limestone formations are the result of the Earth's tectonic processes, deformation, elevation, erosion, decomposition and sea surface changes.

A corner of Ha Long Bay from above.

A vast and majestic karst limestone area on the sea, Ha Long Bay has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its geological and geomorphological value due to the development of karst limestone forms over billions of years. These limestone forms are the result of tectonics, deformation, uplift, erosion, decomposition and sea surface changes of the Earth. Ha Long Bay is also one of the areas where the sea surface has changed throughout the evolution of the Earth, from the Cretaceous period to the present. Therefore, Ha Long Bay is a living proof of global climate change. Ha Long Bay also has an intersection between geological and biological processes, creating a rich and diverse ecosystem. That is why German photographer Reisen compared Ha Long Bay to the way nature puzzles people about geological formations. Scientists have proven that the presence of Ha Long Bay and the islands in the Bay are unique evidence of the history of the development of the Earth, including geological features and the continuous movement and development of the Karst terrain, the Fengcong and Fengling systems. The special terrain of Ha Long Bay is closely related to the climate history and tectonic movement of the Earth. The islands here are quite ideal models of Karst formed in tropical, humid conditions. The entire Ha Long Bay area is a Karst landscape over millions of years, with pyramidal and tower-shaped Karst towers, eroded, creating a unique and outstanding beauty in the world. Moreover, Ha Long Bay is also one of the largest marine Karst limestone areas in the world.

Sunrise on Ha Long Bay.

With 1,133 limestone islands of various shapes and sizes, including 775 limestone islands in Ha Long Bay and 358 limestone islands in Cat Ba archipelago, covered with rich vegetation on the sparkling emerald water surface, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago appears like a chessboard of precious stones, with peaceful mountains and rivers, and pristine white sand beaches. With such special values, in 1962, Ha Long Bay was ranked by the State as a National Monument. In 1994 and 2000, the United NationsEducational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) twice recognized Ha Long Bay as a World Natural Heritage for its landscape value and geological and geomorphological values. In 2009, the Vietnamese Government ranked Ha Long Bay as a Special National Monument. And in 2011, Ha Long Bay was voted one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world, once again affirming the global value of Ha Long Bay. Source: https://nhandan.vn/vinh-ha-long-bao-tang-dia-chat-khong-lo-cua-nhan-loai-post854428.html