Islands and islets in Halong bay

						Halong Bay is a body of 
						water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north 
						Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of 
						Tonkin Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China, and 
						170 kilometres east of Hanoi. 
						Ha Long Bay - means "Bay 
						of the Descending Dragon" in the Vietnamese language.
						The bay consists of a dense cluster of 3000 
						limestone 
						monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle 
						vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. 
						Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. 
						Hang Dau Go (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto 
						in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 
						19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. 
						Its three large chambers contain large numerous 
						stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century 
						French graffiti).
						
						Some of the islands support floating villages of 
						fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of 
						fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the 
						islands have acquired their names as a result of 
						interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names 
						include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting 
						cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have 
						been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, 
						antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the 
						islands.
														
                    
 
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