"Around 50km from Ha Long city, Van Don district is home to about 600 small and big islands covering more than 2,000 square kilometers in Bai Tu Long Bay."
From the 11th century, King Ly Anh Tong selected Van Don for the construction of the first trading port of Dai Viet. An open and relax commerce policy pursued by the State then well turned Van Don into the most bustling and thriving trading port operating under the Tran Dynasty. Ancient vestiges which are reminders of the once busiest era of the first trading port of the country still remain intact today like Quan Lan communal house-pagoda-temple bearing sophisticated carved patterns and features.
From the first trading port of Dai Viet, Van Don has been developed into a special administrative and economic unit with orientations set for it to become a high-quality international sea and island tourism center and a novel, luxurious and attractive destination. In the near future, visitors can go to Van Don not only by high-speed vessels but also by air as Van Don international airport was built. Visitors not only enjoy the poetic landscapes formed by thousands islands and islets jutting out from the sea and silky yellow-sand beach in Bai Tu Long Bay but also immerse themselves into the historical and cultural space of this area. They also engage in the heritage road tour and visit the casino-service centre in Cai Bau and Quan Lan…
Article by Dang Nhung
