There are also 20 booths showcasing tourist destinations, as well as food and drink specialties of various places in Japan and Quang Ninh province.

The highlight of the festival will be the display of five Garyuu cherry trees from Takayama city, Gifu prefecture, Japan, and 100 Hikan cherry branches from Nago city in Okinawa.

After the festival, the trees and branches will be planted in Lan Be park as a gift from Japan so that visitors to Ha Long can enjoy the beauty of its national flower.

This is the first festival of its kind to be held in Quang Ninh province, aiming to promote cultural exchange and strengthen friendly co-operation between the two nations. The festival is scheduled to be held annually in Ha Long every April from this year forward.

Source: Nhandan online

Thus in the first 3 months of the year, the provincial tourism sector has received over 2.8 million arrivals, up 8% in comparison with the same period last year of which international tourist arrivals are 775,000, down 2% compared to the same period 2012; The total tourism revenue reaches VND 1.333 billion, seeing an increase of 14% in comparison with the same period last year.

Currently, Quang Ninh tourism sector is actively enhancing the quality of tourism service, building and developing tourism products, especially 2013 Ha Long Carnival which will be held in the next month.

According to Le Quang Thach, deputy chairman of Van Don District’s People’s Committee, the roads in the district leading to central beaches, fresh water and electricity supply have been upgraded.
The small islands’ docks have been rebuilt while a larger-scale tourism port has been constructed in the southern port of Cai Rong Town.

The district has also invested in training for tourism staff and encouraged local tourism companies to organise domestic and overseas classes for their employees.

There are more than 1,200 rooms for rent in the district, 29 per cent of which reached 2-star standard. The district aims at increase on last year’s tourist numbers of 540,000, up 13 per cent against 2011.

Located in Quang Ninh province, Halong Bay is in the North East of Vietnam. The bay is about 1500 sq km large and has about 1000 named islets. The number of unnamed is not clear listed, but it is not less than hundreds.

Halong bay is a group of karst islands and islets, which are, sometimes, gathering and looks like heaped up on each other. Some are separated into two different cliffs which are opposite to each other from a small slit of water. Some even alternate with each other to create a firm citadel.

Cruising among the Halong Bay with thousands of karst islets of different shapes and sizes, we feel like we have been through millions of years of pertrification.

Under the magical hand of Mother Nature, Halong Bay has not only the grandiose sculpture masterpieces, but also the beautiful natural architectural works.

Among thousands of karst islands with lively features like the sacred human lives, there are many still hold the strange for itself. Under the vague lights and water steams, imaginative visitors may infer various things from the stalactites. Those are the Dau Go grotto, Trinh Nu grotto, Trong grotto, Sung Sot grotto, Thien Cung cave, Hoa Cuong cave, etc.

The Halong nature is also beautiful in summer with the liana, orchid, etc race to give flowers. That was the time of the South wind crossing the karst to bring cool air into the mainland. From the summer morning, when the sun is still not seen over the Bai Tho mountain, we can see many visitors sitting along the Bai Chay beach and welcome the sunlight. The shadow of the islets falls on the  water, and that is the time for the cruises and boat coming back to the harbor.

Autumn brings miracle moon nights to Halong. The afternoon moon shines to the bay and water like being laminated sparkling mercury layer. The familiar islets are now strange.

Spring comes when the apple and peach forests are lighten with white color opening a fanciful world. In the morning spring, Halong bay sleeps fitfully in the beautiful white fog. In these foggy days, cruising among the karst, we can feel they are both strange and familiar. We could feel like our cruise are on the cloud. The sea wind slap on the boats sides. The sounds of fishing man from the besides, but sounds like from the far distance.

Whoever once came to Halong once might improbable be missing those.

The selected destinations by the editors of Business Insider includes the places of brand name, the specialties or the traditional festival of different countries.

Typically, Vietnam is often mentioned through Halong Bay (Quang Ninh province) – one of the New Seven Wonders of the world. Japan is more popular with sakura festival, Angkor Complex is the representative for Cambodia.

Meanwhile, people cannot forget the Galapagos Archipelago and taking pictures with tortoise, sea lion and iguana while visiting Ecuador. And when you visit the fashion kingdom of Italian, you will enjoy the pizza, etc

Dear Daniel,

It is already one month since you left Vietnam to be back to the France. I have received your email some days ago, then I felt missing you so much. I was moved when you have a heart for my dear Vietnam. I know that your time in Vietnam was not much and Daniel chose Halong to be the only destination. The days of discovering Halong Bay, I know, left a huge feeling in your heart. Daniel said that “there is nowhere else that worth going more than this. It could not be hesitated anymore, I will campaign my friend in France to come and vote for Halong Bay which is not only your country’s but also mine.”

I am grateful for Daniel. Because he is the one who awoke my sweet feelings to Halong which is still unmindful for myself. I am a Vietnamese. I am a Vietnamese, and I am just about 300km from the world heritage, but I just see them through the pictures and also graze at them. I have never voted for Halong in the Internet because I am lazy and when I sit down in front of PC, I don’t remember.

I remember when Daniel insisted me to discover Halong on Bhaya cruise, I was hesitated. However, he said he was well acknowledged about Halong before coming to Vietnam, and he would love to have a Vietnamese friend to go with him when he came to Vietnam. The journey changed my viewpoint about tourism.

Daniel said that “nothing is more perfect than relaxing and welcoming the sunset on a luxurious boat with a sparkling poetic landscape of green bay and karst islets gathering. I remember when the sun is set, shine the cabin of the cruise, Daniel was standing still, holding my hand, said: “You have to be proud that Vietnam has Halong Bay, you are a happy person when you just need four hours to come here. For me, next year, I will get my family and my puppy here, absolutely. I have to be back as soon as possible.”

The system of karst grottoes is the first highlight. Thien Cung Cave is an art museum that is like a stone castle in the middle of the sea. That is the legend of separation between mother and father Dragon, the maze of Persian king in the story “One thousand and one night”. The Dau Go grotto is the Opera house of Middle Ages that sticks to the legend of Thanh Giong (Giong God). Daniel was like wallowing in the dreams after dreams when he heard about my tiny knowledge about Halong bay.

When the cruise stop by Titov beach, Daniel said that Daniel thought about the La Voile Rouge beach in France, but Titov is more beautiful for being surrounded in the romantic bay. I remember the picture that Daniel took Halong bay when we climbed on the top of Titov mountain. I couldn’t thought that is my Vietnam. I was joking that thousands of dragon had chosen this place to settle down. Those mosses covered islets are the young flying dragons. Daniel said if there were no sailors in the bay, it would lose it poetics. Thanks Daniel for giving me the love and feeling for Halong.

In the next morning, I and Daniel took the kayak under the Luon cave to come into the inside pond. He said he felt like taking the kayak in Katherine canyon in Australia, but the mountain is more grandiose here.

He was worrying how to pass by the small cave entrance, but after a while, two of us were swallowed up to come into the belly of the pond. Daniel named the funny names for these islets, just like a fairy world in karst.

After the journey, I was having a different way of looking at life. I think people have to be good at a small business before started new bigger matter.

“It is like a boat”, I said.

“A Boat?” screamed he. “That is not like a boat. That is a kayak!”

Our tour guide instructed us to ride a kayak and he said we had one hour for kayaking. The principles are not letting the water in and sunk. There are three groups of kayakers: me and a Sweden girl, two England and a German couple.

We, like other tourist groups, were given a set of karsts. We started to row and discover the bay. The most exciting part is rowing near the small islets. The floating parts of limestone appear above the water, like from nowhere and put its hand to the sky.  We rowed through a tunnel and found ourselves in the giant holes surrounded by a big oval islet. The most impressive thing to me is when I row to the grotto. The deeper I went in, the darker it was. Hundreds of stalactites lying in front of my face that I was even had to lie close to the kayak to cross.

When the Kayak moves across the unnamed islets and grottoes, that is when you can feel the beauty of the corals, the small fishes swimming under and many other unseen scenery which are not even published in any travel guide books ever. Each of the paddling up and down, hundreds of sea waters reflects the sparkling beauty under the sunlight.

After finishing the journey, my arms were tired out. But that left me a lot of impressions.

The selected destinations by the editors of Business Insider includes the places of brand name, the specialties or the traditional festival of different countries.

Typically,Vietnamis often mentioned throughHalongBay(Quang Ninh province) – one of the New Seven Wonders of the world.Japanis more popular with sakura festival, Angkor Complex is the representative forCambodia.

Meanwhile, people cannot forget the Galapagos Archipelago and taking pictures with tortoise, sea lion and iguana while visiting Ecuador. And when you visit the fashion kingdom of Italian, you will enjoy the pizza, etc.