Legend of Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is famous for its impressive natural beauty. Although it was just recently recognized as one of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the world, few people know about the legendary story about the origin of this bay.
Origin of name
The name "Ha Long" in Vietnamese literally means "dragon landing". According to ancient legend, Vietnamese people are believed to be descended from dragons. With this perspective, the story of Ha Long Bay becomes very attractive and captivating.
Legend of Ha Long Bay
Ha Long legend tells about the period after Vietnam was first founded, when the people faced invasion from enemies from the sea. To protect the country from this attack, Emperor Viet prayed to the gods to send the Mother Dragon and her children to help him defeat the enemy.
The Mother Dragon and her children did not hesitate to respond to the Emperor's call and were determined to confront the invader. Although the enemy was strong and overwhelming, the Dragon bravely destroyed them with fire and great strength.
After defeating the enemy, giant emeralds appeared in this sea. According to legend, these emeralds are actually the teeth of the Mother Dragon and her children. These emeralds were left as an impenetrable barrier, ensuring the peace of the country and preventing any future invasion. This protected sea area later turned into the small islands we see in Ha Long Bay today.
After the victory at Ha Long Bay, the Mother Dragon and her children never returned to the heaven where they were summoned. Instead, they stay in human form to help the Vietnamese people in farming, raising livestock, reclaiming land and developing the country.
To commemorate the intervention of the Mother Dragon and her children, the Vietnamese named the bay "Ha Long" and the area where the Mother Dragon set foot "Bai Tu Long," which means "Bow down and show respect to the children of the dragon."
The Mother Dragon and her children did not hesitate to respond to the Emperor's call and were determined to confront the invader. Although the enemy was strong and overwhelming, the Dragon bravely destroyed them with fire and great strength.
After defeating the enemy, giant emeralds appeared in this sea. According to legend, these emeralds are actually the teeth of the Mother Dragon and her children. These emeralds were left as an impenetrable barrier, ensuring the peace of the country and preventing any future invasion. This protected sea area later turned into the small islands we see in Ha Long Bay today.
After the victory at Ha Long Bay, the Mother Dragon and her children never returned to the heaven where they were summoned. Instead, they stay in human form to help the Vietnamese people in farming, raising livestock, reclaiming land and developing the country.
To commemorate the intervention of the Mother Dragon and her children, the Vietnamese named the bay "Ha Long" and the area where the Mother Dragon set foot "Bai Tu Long," which means "Bow down and show respect to the children of the dragon."
Legend of Dau Go cave
There are three versions about the origin of the name "Dau Go" for this cave.
The historical version says that the name "Dau Go" comes from an event in Vietnamese history. During the resistance war against the Yuan invaders in the 13th century, Tran Dynasty soldiers used a wooden spear to trap the enemy at Bach Dang River (Yen Hung). From the "wooden head" of the spear, this cave was named "Wooden Head" to commemorate their victory.
The second version is associated with the use of Dau Go island cave as a shelter for fishermen on stormy days. The bow-shaped island creates a safe haven for them. After a storm, fishermen often need to repair their boats and often leave behind many pieces of wood. These pieces of wood were found at the beginning of the cave, from which the name "Wood Cave" comes.
The third version simply describes how the cave looks like a giant tree from a distance. Therefore, local people started calling it "Dau Go."
Thus, the name "Dau Go" for this cave originates from three different stories as above.
The historical version says that the name "Dau Go" comes from an event in Vietnamese history. During the resistance war against the Yuan invaders in the 13th century, Tran Dynasty soldiers used a wooden spear to trap the enemy at Bach Dang River (Yen Hung). From the "wooden head" of the spear, this cave was named "Wooden Head" to commemorate their victory.
The second version is associated with the use of Dau Go island cave as a shelter for fishermen on stormy days. The bow-shaped island creates a safe haven for them. After a storm, fishermen often need to repair their boats and often leave behind many pieces of wood. These pieces of wood were found at the beginning of the cave, from which the name "Wood Cave" comes.
The third version simply describes how the cave looks like a giant tree from a distance. Therefore, local people started calling it "Dau Go."
Thus, the name "Dau Go" for this cave originates from three different stories as above.
Legend of Hang Trinh Nu
The legend of Hang Trinh Nu is a tragic story about a beautiful girl, the daughter of a fisherman, in the old days, on Bo Hon island. She came from a poor family, but her beauty attracted a rich man. He proposed to her, but she refused because her true love was for another fisherman.
Enraged by her refusal, the rich man banished her and her family to a deserted island. The girl's aching heart still went out to the fisherman she loved. Her fiance ventured into the sea to search for his love, but all was in vain. One brutal stormy night, the starving and exhausted girl turned into stone.
Her fiancé searched for her with hope and effort. On a deserted beach, he saw her in Trinh Nu cave. He tried to connect with her, talk to her, but the wind took away all his words. He tried to attract her attention by smashing rocks against the cliff, but all efforts were in vain. Finally, he was exhausted and he himself turned into stone.
Enraged by her refusal, the rich man banished her and her family to a deserted island. The girl's aching heart still went out to the fisherman she loved. Her fiance ventured into the sea to search for his love, but all was in vain. One brutal stormy night, the starving and exhausted girl turned into stone.
Her fiancé searched for her with hope and effort. On a deserted beach, he saw her in Trinh Nu cave. He tried to connect with her, talk to her, but the wind took away all his words. He tried to attract her attention by smashing rocks against the cliff, but all efforts were in vain. Finally, he was exhausted and he himself turned into stone.
Today, a natural statue of the petrified girl is placed in front of Hang Trinh Nuto commemorate this tragic story. The petrified statue still faces Hang Trinh Nu, and locals call this place "Trinh Nu" or "Trinh Nu" to honor the love of these lovers that never sublimated into marriage.
Legend of Hanh Hang
In the legend of Hang Hanh, this is the longest cave in the Ha Long Bay complex. Although the name of the cave is not directly related to the story, the story surrounding it is full of interesting and at the same time sad about a tragic event that happened here. The story goes that one day, three beautiful girls decided to get on a boat and explore this cave.
Fascinated by the magnificence of the cave, they completely lost track of time and did not realize that the tide was rising. Before they could leave the cave, they were swept away by the waves, and the three girls' lives ended here. To commemorate and honor these three female detectives, local fishermen built a temple near the cave.
Fascinated by the magnificence of the cave, they completely lost track of time and did not realize that the tide was rising. Before they could leave the cave, they were swept away by the waves, and the three girls' lives ended here. To commemorate and honor these three female detectives, local fishermen built a temple near the cave.
This small temple still exists today and is called "Ba Co" or "Three Girls", and it is a symbol of respect and honor for these three brave female detectives in history. of Ha Long Bay.
Legend of Cat Ba Island
The legend of Cat Ba Island tells about the origin of the island's original name, which in Vietnamese means "Women". According to local folk tales, in ancient times, all the women on Cat Ba island took on the job of managing the family, taking care of all the housework and logistics, while the men left home to go to war. to protect the island. For this reason, Cat Ba island is called "The Ba" or simply "Nu" island.
Epilogue
These traditional stories have been passed down through generations and have become an important part of the region's culture and history, making Ha Long Bay not only a unique natural phenomenon but also a a precious treasure of cultural heritage.