Photos of the Month, April 2007: Travel

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Originally uploaded by cameraartsblog.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
by Lori Pond
#5 of 5
I took this photograph as I was entering the bay on a traditional Chinese junk. It was very foggy and misty that day, and rather than being disappointed by the lack of all-encompassing views, I was entranced by the mystery conveyed by the fog. Then, when another Chinese junk passed in front of us, it added to the exotic ambiance of the place.

There are over 3,000 limestone islands that make up the bay, many of which also have caves deep inside them. The name Ha Long literally means "Descending Dragon." A Vietnamese myth states that heavenly dragons were sent down to protect the bay from foreign invaders, and when they descended, they spit out jewels and jade, which formed into the islands we see today.
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