The Descending Dragon of Ha Long Bay
Ha Long means 'where the dragon descends'. Legend says the bay's 2,000 islands were spat out by dragons to stop an invading fleet.
What was reported
Ha Long Bay, in north-eastern Vietnam, is scattered with nearly 2,000 limestone islands and pillars rising sheer from green water. Vietnamese legend says that when invaders sailed against the land, the gods sent a mother dragon and her children. They spat out jewels and jade, which became the islands, forming a wall the enemy ships wrecked against.
The dragons liked the place so much they stayed. Sea monster stories were told here too: in the late 1890s and early 1900s, French naval officers reported long, serpent-like animals swimming in the bay.
Explanations offered
The islands are karst: limestone eroded over millions of years by rain and the sea, which later rose to flood the valleys between them. The sea serpent reports were never confirmed. The bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Ha Long Bay, Quảng Ninh, Vietnam
- Witnesses
- Vietnamese legend, and sailors
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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