The website notes that according to local legend, the bay’s islands were formed when a dragon charged from the mountains towards the coast. Its tail carved out valleys and crevasses until the dragon hit the water, flooding the area and leaving nothing but peaks visible.

Ha Long Bay is cited in the list of most stunning attractions on the planet thanks to its incredibly serene emerald waters, multiple small limestone islands, a broad array of caves and grottoes, and evergreen rainforest ecosystem.