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flora which are listed in Vietnam’s Red
Book. Motorbike is the ideal way to get
out and experience it all.
The boat landed on Quan Lan is-
land after two hours. Quan Lan beach
is rather small with only the AIT resort
available, so we decided to continue
our trip to explore the whole island be-
fore sun set. Besides Quan Lan, we vis-
ited Son Hao 1, Son Hao 2 and Son Hao
3 beaches in the middle of the island,
before riding to the other side to Minh
Chau commune to explore the most
beautiful and charming white sandy
beach in the Gulf of Tonkin, as well
as discover the wildlife of Bai Tu Long
National Park.
Passing Quan Lan beach, we drove
smooth roads to reach the Quan Lan
historical zone to learn of the legend of
aggression against the Nguyen Mong
(Dai On Ulus) military (1288) from the
Tran Dynasty. First, we stopped at the
Quan Lan communal house, built in
the 18th century and restored several
years ago. It is dedicated to the found-
ing fathers of the village, and also to
Tran Khanh Du, a general who sank
the food supply boats of Nguyen Mong
general Truong Van Ho, greatly con-
tributing to victory on the Bach Dang
River in 1288.
Next, we entered the Quan Lan pa-
goda (Linh Quang Tu), which honours
Buddha and Lady Lieu Hanh. Next to
the pagoda is Temple Nghe Quan Lan
(Duc Ong temple), where Pham Cong
Chinh, a local soldier, is worshipped.
The island has been home to the
prosperous trading port of Van Don
since the 11th century; it remains
crowded with international vessels to
this day. This long history has left be-
hind countless relics related to the com-
mercial port.
Later, we headed to the Son Hao
beaches, with their wild flora and fau-
na, white sand and clear blue waters.
These beaches are rather isolated, with
only a few services and accommodation
limited to home stays only.
After half an hour of swimming
followed by some seafood, we left for
Minh Chau, where we had been told
the accommodation and food was
better. We arrived rather late, but still
found a good place to lay our heads.
There are some hotels and resorts un-
der construction along the beach, but
homestays are still preferable.
After a long day discovering the
island, we got to bed early to prepare
for a special trip to discover more of Bai
Tu Long National park.
The national park covers a total
area of 15,783 hectares, of which, the
forest accounts for 6,125 hectares.
There are more than 40 islands and the
remaining area is sea and tidal flats.
The topographical structure of Bai
Tu Long National Park includes soil is-
lands and rock islands, such as Ba Mun,
Big Tra Ngo, Small Tra Ngo, Sau Nam,
Sau Dong, Dong Ma, Hon Chinh, Lo
Ho, Mang Ha Nam, Mang Ha Bac, Di
To, Chay Chay, Da Ay and Soi Nhu. Vast
valleys are surrounded by limestone
mountains and constitute a multiform
living environment for various species
of flora and fauna.
Not only attractive for its abun-
dant natural treasures, the reserve
zone is well-known for its historical
and cultural value, with archaeological
sites like Soi Nhu Cave, where there is
evidence of the habitation of ancient
Viet people.
QUANG NINH IN FOCUS