 Bai Chay beach is a large,
beautiful, artificial beach, closed to the coast of
Halong Bay. The 100-meter-wide-sandy beach spans
over 500 m. Early in the morning or in late
afternoon, thousands of people liven up the
atmosphere here.
The asphalt road winds its way through the white
sandy beach and luxuriant casuarinas. The Hoang Gia
Tourism Company has invested in diverse services for
tourists. The Bai Chay tourist site is fast changing
into one of the most captivating of this kind in Halong City. It comprises restaurants, water puppet
and traditional music theatres, Hoàng Gia Park,
water-skiing, and sea motorcycling. The Hoang Gia
Park lines along the Ha Long road leading from the
Bai Chay Tourist Wharf to the gate of the Ha Long
Night Market.
There are many legends associated with the name Bai
Chay. According to one legend, when the fleet
carrying food for the Yuan-Mongolian invaders led by
Truong Van Ho came there, the Vietnamese troops and
locals under the leadership of Tran Khanh Du set fire
to it. The whole fleet was engulfed in fire.
Meanwhile, the northeast wind blew hard and further
added fuel to it. Fire was so fierce it burned down
the forest in the western side of Cua Luc. Hence the
name Bai Chay.
Another legend has it that the western side of Cua
Luc used to be a wharf for seagoing boats.
Acorn-barnacles firmly attached to these boats'
sides and underneath, and might wreck the boats. The
local population had to use casuarinas leaves to
burn acorn-barnacles. From Hon Gai and other
neighboring places, people always see a blaze from
there, so they called it Bai Chay. |
