Ha Long Bay is the result of geological tectonic movement after millions of years. However, with the rich folk imagination, ancient Vietnamese people told legendaries about the formation of the place, which make the bay more mysterious.
Moutains which were said to be the dragons
In stories, it is said that Halong bay initially was a piece of blank ocean. The God sent a Dragon mother and her children to Halong to help inhabitants defeat invaders. After beating the invaders, falling in love with the beautiful place, the dragons decided to settle down there, they are nowadays the countless of large and small islands.
Dau Go cave
There is an interesting point is that most of stories about the place are connected with wars again invaders of Vietnamese ancestors throughout the history. Thus, the stories about islands and caves in Halong bay are mostly legendaries about the wars.
Dau Go (logs) caves is the place where General Tran Hung Dao prepare iron and sharpened logs, which later were plugged into Bach Dang river to damage enemy’s ship and won over them in the resistant war against Mongol invaders.
Trinh Nu cave
Unlike Dau Go cave, the story about Trinh Nu (Virgin) cave is a tragic love story. The cave is located in Bo Hon island, the same system with Sung Sot cave, Dong Tien lake and Luon cave. It is said that once upon a time there was a pretty maiden, she was from a poor family in the nearby floating village. Her family were tenant fisher for a local landlord. Being interested in the girl’s beauty, he forced her parents to let her marry him. But the girl resisted, she was in love with a local man, he went offshore for fishing to make money for their wedding at the same time.
Con Trai cave
The landlord was pissed off, he deported the girl to a desert island. Being starving and exhausted, after a rainy night, the poor girl petrified. Having known girlfriend distress, the man sailing to seek for her but unluckily, his boat was torn by a storm, he was washed up on a desert island. In the flash, he found the girl and screamed her name but the strong wind faded his sounds away. He used stones to hit the mountains to tell her that he came for her but there was no use. He still continued until he bled and petrified because of exhaustion. The place where the girl petrified nowadays is Trinh Nu cave, at the entrance of the cave there is a huge stone looking like a maiden. In opposite to Trinh Nu cave is Trong (See) cave, or Con trai (Man) cave in other words, which is where the man petrified. The statue of the man looking forward to Trinh Nu cave is still there.
Hanh cave
Hanh cave, the longest cave in Halong bay has the name disconnected with any story but there is a story about the cave. People said that there was once 3 pretty girls sailing to the cave, bewitched by the beauty scenes, they forgot that the tide was going up, eventually they were stuck in the cave and drowned. Being sympathetic towards the pretty ladies, the fishermen built them a temple for worship. The temple still exists at the entrance of the cave, it’s called “Ba Co” (3 girls) temple, which is said to be very sacred.
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