I went for an overnight boat ride in Ha Long Bay while I was in Hanoi. It's a 3 1/2 hour drive from the city. The bay has over 3,000 limestone islands that emerge from emerald green water. To sail around them is extremely peaceful and breathtaking. I kayaked to some lagoons and hiked through one of the caves.
Local legend says that long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons spit out jewels and jade, which turned into the islands forming a wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. Instead of returning to the heavens, the dragons decided to live in the Bay.
Ha Long Bay translates to Descending Dragon Bay.
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