Halong Bay

1) What is this place?

2) Where is this place?

3) Why do tourist visit this place?

4) Positive impacts

5) Negative impacts

6) Sources

1) What is this place?

The Ha Long Bay (106°58'-107°22'E, 20°45'-20°56'N) is a World Heritage Site in Vietnam. Ha Long Bay was established as a historical and cultural relict and national scenic spot under Decision No. 313/VH VP on 28 April 1962, which was issued by the Minister of Culture. The bay was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.

2) Where is this place?

Ha Long Bay is located in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên H?ng district, past H? Long city, C?m Ph? town to Van ??n district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The entire bay is 150,000 hectares (ha). The Bay ranges from sea level to 100-200 meters (m) high.

3) Why do tourist visit this place?

Ha Long Bay is a beautiful place that it is visited by everyone who makes it to north of Viet Nam. Most people visit Halong Bay to see the rock formations and caves as well as to have a relaxing holiday after a year or period of work. The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves.

4) Positive Impacts

Tourism here has created tons of jobs and business opportunities for the locals. People will be able to learn more about the beauty of these natrual landforms and learn to appriciate them. The tourist would also be able to learn more from the local population there. The tourist will also learn to treasure these natrual sites that are being harmed just for development. Despite development in the region, it appears that Ha Long itself will be protected by the government as a major tourist and cultural center.

5) Negative Impacts

The bay is being polluted by petrol and oil which can be clearly seen on the surface of the water in parts. With more and more people visiting Ha Long Bay, mangroves and sea grass beds have had to be cleared for jetties, and with more people travelling through the same caves and waters, the ecosystem of the limestones are diminishing. Some cave enterances are even widen to allow tourist in, thus changing its natrual form. This increase in light has lead to an imbalance in the delicate links between the flora and fauna, and a decrease in the humidity of the caves. Fuel and oil, along with tourist litter, have created pollution problems, which impact on both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem of the islands. Overfishig is also a problem as locals have to feed the tourist. Seafood is one of the many attractions they have there, they also import the fishes they catch as a form of livelihood. In all tourism not only harms the flora and fauna of the place, it also harms the natrual environment of the place.

6) Sources

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ha_Long_Bay,_Vietnam

http://vietnamesegod.blogspot.com/2007/09/tourism-in-ha-long-bay.html

http://www.vietnamtourshalong.com/about_us/Impacts_of_Tourism.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halong_Bay

Joyce Lim (10) 4R