International tourists kayak to see floating fishing village in the heart of world heritage

Since the beginning of the year, Vung Vieng fishing village in the heart of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors; mainly international visitors coming to sightsee and take photos.

Vung Vieng fishing village is about 15 km from the mainland. Recently, this place has become a favorite destination for international visitors to kayak and admire the scenery of the world natural heritage.

Khách quốc tế chèo kayak ngắm làng chài nổi trong lòng di sản thế giới- Ảnh 1. — *Vung Vieng fishing village is surrounded by limestone mountains.*

Vung Vieng is also known for being voted by many international travel magazines as one of the most beautiful fishing villages in the world. Before 2014, this floating village was home to 30 households and more than 300 fishermen for many generations. Since ancient times, local fishermen have chosen this area to establish a fishing village because it is sheltered from the wind and surrounded by high mountains. In the past, in addition to buying food from the mainland for use, fishermen also caught seafood around the village to eat... The highlight that impresses visitors when coming to Vung Vieng fishing village is to admire and take check-in photos at the unique village gate that is millions of years old. The fishing village gate is the space between the rocky mountain and the water below, forming a ravine wide enough for fishermen to row their boats through. Every time fishing boats return from offshore, then pass through the ravine, fishermen see the peace of the village appear, welcoming their children back. Also according to the People's Committee of Ha Long City, in 2014, in order to help fishermen have a more stable life, the local government asked people to move to the mainland to live. Fishermen were given houses and jobs, helping their lives become better than before.

Khách quốc tế chèo kayak ngắm làng chài nổi trong lòng di sản thế giới- Ảnh 2. — *Statistics from the Ha Long Bay Management Board show that in the first 7 months of 2024, 400,000 visitors visited this fishing village; including about 30,000 international visitors.*

Currently, in Vung Vieng fishing village, there are about 30 floating houses but no fishermen live there. However, during the day, they still come here to fish and raise small-scale aquaculture to both make a living and perform for tourists. When visiting the famous fishing village in the heart of the world heritage, visitors can sit on a boat gliding on the clear blue water; immerse themselves in the space surrounded by majestic limestone mountains. However, kayaking or sitting on a rowboat to admire the fishing villages in the heart of the world heritage currently only makes visitors satisfied with their eyes but not their hands. Mr. Vu Van Hung (63 years old, former Head of Vung Vieng fishing village) said: "After the Covid-19 pandemic, more tourists came to visit Vung Vieng fishing village, but most of them only experienced kayaking and did not have other activities to keep them staying longer such as swimming, squid fishing, fishing with fishermen or enjoying dishes imbued with the identity of the fishing people".

Khách quốc tế chèo kayak ngắm làng chài nổi trong lòng di sản thế giới- Ảnh 3. — *International visitors enjoy the experience at Vung Vieng fishing village*

According to the Ha Long Bay Management Board (Quang Ninh), since the beginning of the year, the number of international visitors to Ha Long Bay has been higher than that of domestic visitors. Specifically, in the first 7 months of 2024, Ha Long Bay welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors, an increase of 36.8% over the same period in 2023. Notably, international tourists visited more than 1 million. Tourists mainly choose peaceful, deserted spots to experience the private space on Ha Long Bay, which is the fishing village. Vung Vieng, Cua Van, Luon cave, Ti Top beach...