Bid for Vietnamese bay to be new world wonder: 06-09-2007
A new campaign has been launched to declare Ha Long Bay in Vietnam as one of the world's seven natural wonders.
The bay, which is already recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site, is famous for its 2,000-odd limestone islands and caves, and is regarded as one of Vietnam's most popular attractions.
The name of the bay means "descending dragon" and comes from a local legend about the area.
According to local myths, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend Vietnam, who then spat down precious stones on the bay. These jewels then formed into the stones which are meant to defend the country against outside attack.
Some people who travel to the area also go to try and catch sight of the tarasque, a mythical creature with the head of a lion, the body of an ox, the shell of a turtle and the tail of a scorpion who is rumoured to live there.
The shortlist of the places competing for the title of Seven Natural World Wonders will be decided after August 8th 2008, at which point people worldwide can vote for the final seven.
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