Society

Less wooden ships to be seen in Ha Long Bay

Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh plan to replace wooden ships with steel ones over the next five years to ensure safe journeys for tourists in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised natura
Less wooden ships to be seen in Ha Long Bay ảnh 1Ships in Ha Long Bay (Source:VNA)

Quang Ninh (VNA) – Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh plan to replace wooden ships with steel ones over the next five years to ensure safe journeys for tourists in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised natural heritage site.

Vu Van Khanh, Director of the provincial Transport Department, revealed the plan during a session on March 15.

All steel ships must be built in line with a standard model designed by experts based on feedback from local ship owners and travel agencies, he stressed.

Recently, Quang Ninh issued a temporary regulation that allows wooden ships to operate in the bay for a maximum of 15 years, as opposed to the 25 years regulated in Decree 111/2014/ND-CP.

Khanh said the change was made for safety reasons, as this type of ship degrades more quickly in saltwater and is more affected by strong winds in Ha Long Bay.

After the 15-year duration, they still can travel outside the bay, he noted.

Currently there are 80 steel ships travelling around the bay. In the last three years, no fatal accidents were reported in the scenic waters.

Quang Ninh aims to welcome five million tourists to Ha Long Bay by 2020, up from 2.2 million in 2015.

Ha Long Bay, which spans 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes, was twice recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000.

In 2011, it outranked 261 other landscapes from around the world to be voted one of the seven New Natural Wonders of the World.

The bay is an iconic destination for visitors to Quang Ninh province, with its rich biodiversity, stunning beauty, and significant historical and cultural value.-VNA

VNA
#Ha Long Bay #steel ships #Decree 111/2014/ND-CP Quang Ninh
Follow VietnamPlus

See more

Vietnamese students in Poland present gifts to those in need in Dak Lak on July 16. (Photo: VNA)

Young OVs support the disadvantaged in Dak Lak

Visiting and presenting gifts to disadvantaged families is an important activity of the Vietnam Summer Camp 2025, helping support families’ living and educational conditions and also deepen the overseas youths’ understanding of and connection with compatriots in Vietnam.

A young OV experiences playing T'rung, a traditional musical instrument, in Dak Lak as part of the Vietnam Summer Camp 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Young OVs explore homeland’s gong culture

This year's event is carefully curated to bridge Vietnam’s historical legacy with its dynamic present, helping young the OVs discover the homeland's regions, culture, and history and witness current economic development opportunities and the nation's overall progress.

Fishing vessels are anchored along the Ca Ty river in Lam Dong, waiting to refuel and prepare for their next offshore trip. (Photo: VNA)

Lam Dong steps up crackdown on IUU fishing

All the 1,992 vessels measuring 15 metres or longer – those required to install tracking devices – have done so, reaching a 100% compliance rate, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Delegates at the seminar (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam completes legal framework for forest carbon market

The draft decree on forest carbon sequestration and storage services marks the first attempt to establish a domestic standard for forest carbon while aligning with international carbon credit systems. It clearly defines eligible service providers and buyers, allowing both public and private entities to supply or purchase credits through contracts or a national carbon exchange.

A newly built house under the substandard housing elimination programme in Dak Lak (Photo: VNA)

Dak Lak completes nearly 90% of plan to eliminate substandard houses

As of July 9, 8,526 houses had been newly built or repaired, including 6,626 new constructions and 1,900 repairs, achieving 89.5% of the target. Over 6,000 houses have been handed over and are now occupied, providing stable accommodation for families benefiting from social policies, as well as low-income and near-poor households.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien receives the token of 82 billion VND from Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong. (Photo: VNA)

Banking sector donates 3.1 million USD to housing programme

Since April 2024, the banking sector has committed a total of 1.36 trillion VND to the programme. Of this amount, 1.1 trillion VND has already been disbursed, while the remaining funds will be released following the issuance of allocation guidelines by the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs (180 billion VND) and the submission of complete documents by localities (85 billion VND).

The two-week programme gathers nearly 40 scientists, young researchers, PhD students, engineers, technicians, and students from five countries. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam fosters young talent in astrophysics through int'l summer school

The SAGI 2025 Summer School is one of the flagship initiatives of the Simons Astrophysics Group at ICISE (SAGI), which was recently established in Gia Lai with support from the US-based Simons Foundation and the guidance of Vietnamese-origin scientists such as Dr. Nguyen Trong Hien, Professor Hoang Chi Thiem (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), and Dr. Nguyen Luong Quang.

Officers check a fisherman's compliance with regulations on combating IUU fishing. (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho reports no fishing violations in foreign waters for three years

Can Tho city is now home to 795 registered fishing vessels with a combined capacity of 209,648 horsepower. Among those, 346 vessels measure 15 metres or longer, requiring the installation of monitoring systems, and 28 vessels provide logistical support services to the fishing industry.