Halong bay tourism news - monthly review (April 2023)

In April 2023, Halong Bay experienced a handful of news and events that left the audience and visitors excited. Notably, there were the recognition of Cua Van floating village as one of the most beautiful coastal towns in the world rewarded by US magazine and the celebration of Halong Carnival 2023 themed “Halong Dance - Harmony of Five Continents” on the occasion of five-day Vietnam Reunification Day and International Labor Day Holiday (April 30 and May 1).

Recognition of Cua Van Floating Village as one of world's most beautiful coastal towns

Established hundreds of years ago, the Cua Van Floating Village, located within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, has recently been recognized by readers of the U.S. magazine Travel+Leisure as one of the 16 most picturesque coastal towns. According to the magazine, “this little village is completely composed of floating homes” and “around 700 people, traditionally fishermen, live in anchored houseboats, with kids attending a floating school”. 

Inhabitants in Cua Van Fishing Village with their unique lifestyle who rely on fishing as their main livelihood and live on the boats for the whole line have become an indispensable part of the ancient village’s culture. Alongside Cua Van Fishing Village, other majestic coastal towns namely Polperro in England, Manarola in Italy, Lunenburg in Canada, and Port Fairy in Australia were also shortlisted.

The 15th opening of Halong Carnival

Regarding the opening of Halong Carnival 2023, this became a bang in Halong Bay this summer which aimed at attracting international tourists to stimulate tourism and promote the image of Ha Long. The 15th Halong Carnival opened at 8 pm on May 1 on Vo Nguyen Giap Street with a low-altitude fireworks display and a variety of cultural, artistic, sporting, and tourism activities.

This year’s festival included four parts: an opening ceremony, stage performances, a street dance parade, and culminating with the fireworks. Many famous singers, dance troupes, beauty queens, professional artists, folk artisans, and nearly 2,000 performers were invited to the event. The carnival showcased the convergence of historical, artistic, legendary, open, and natural elements, reflecting that Ha Long is a premier destination in Asia where the best things come together.

During the Reunification Day and International Labor Holiday in Ha Long City, there were also nine other cultural and sporting events, including the Tran Quoc Nghien Temple Festival (taking place on April 29-30), the launch of the photo contest titled “Halong Bay - A world natural heritage” (on April 30), a kite flying festival (on April 30), an exhibition of paintings and photographs of Ha Long, a street music and arts festival (on April 30), a modern dance group festival (on April 29), a wellness performance program (on May 1), a folk dance club performance program (on May 2), and a music and traditional Vietnamese dress show, as well as the announcement of new tourism products and a scenic check-in at Hai Thinh Lake (on May 2).