Bai Chay Beach

Bai Chay (Buring Plain), a large artificial beach close to Ha Long bay, is over 500 meters long ang 100 meters wide. Hoang Gia Tourism company’s investment has made the site popular. An asphalt road winds between the beach of  white sand and casuarina trees. Nearby are restaurants, traditional music theatre and water puppet theatres. Hoang Gia park on Ha Long road between Bai Chay tourist wharf Ha Long night market provides water-skiing and jet-skiing.

Bai Chay is associated with many legends.One describes a fleet led by Truong Van Ho with food for the Yuan-Mogolian invaders. Vietnamese defenders led by Tran Khanh Du set the entire invading fleet afire. Winds from the northeast carried sparks to the western side of Cua Luc river mouth, setting its forests aflame. Hence, the name “Bai Chay”.

Another story says the western side of  Cua Luc once had a wharf for seafaring vessels. Local shipyards used casuarina leaves to burn acorn-barnacles off the boats’hulls. People in Hon Gai and another neighbouring villages saw these fires and called the area “ Bai Chay”.

- Beach in Vietnam -