Day 16

Hong Kong to Singapore

Start, Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Day 21, Day 22, Day 23. Day 24.

Ha Long

This was our second day in Ha Long, and the weather was overcast with drizzling rain, not a good day for walking so we caught a taxi to see the major attractions around Ha Long.

View from the mountain

View from the temple to the Sun Wheel

Our driver first took us up Ba Deo Mountain behind Ha Long to visit the Buddhist temple (Chùa Bảo Hải Linh Thông) complex. It was perched on top of Ba Deo Mountain, behind Ha Long, and offered a sweeping view of Ha Long Bay.

As well as the temple complex and other buildings, the was a gigantic Ferris wheel called the Sun Wheel, but was under repair while we were there.

The grounds also contained a massive Seven-story Ngu Phuong Stupa designed in the form of a five-pointed Buddhist symbol consisting of five towers. This spiritual complex is also a tranquil retreat for visitors seeking inner peace.

There was also a shrine to Hồ Chí Minh, colloquially known as Uncle Ho who was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary and politician who served as the founder and first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1945 until his death in 1969, and as its first prime minister from 1945 to 1955.

Plan of Bao Hai Linh Thong Tu

Bao Hai Linh Thong Tu entrance

View of the stupa

Stupa

Orange tree

Ho Chi Minh

Temple altar

Statues

Stone statues

Back down the mountain

On our way back into the city we travelled through the city and saw some great murals as we passed. Our next stop was the very large Ha Long Market (Cho Hạ Long). The building itself was also surrounded by various types of fresh food markets, dedicated to various types of seafood, meat, vegetables and flowers.

Of course it was also surrounded by the obligatory cafes serving local foods as well as service business like hairdressing.

While we waited for our taxi driver to return, Frances decided to have a Vietnamese coffee in a local cafe.

We also stopped at Vincom Plaza shopping centre, but is was like any modern shopping centre in Asia.

Charming mural

Mural of Ha Long Bay

Street mural

Ha Long Market

Vietnamese espresso coffee

Vincom Plaza

Our next stop was at the much smaller Long Tien Pagoda (Chùa Long Tiên), a significant Buddhist temple in Ha Long City known for its unique architecture and as a cultural landmark. It is located at the end of a narrow street and nestled against the rock wall.