Over 600,000 mobile text messages have been sent to vote for Ha Long Bay as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, after ten days of launching the SMS voting campaign.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) announced the result at a press briefing in Hanoi on Oct. 10.

Cuong said that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue promoting the campaign in the near future.

Ha Long Bay, or the Bay of the Descending Dragon, in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, is scattered with some 3,000 precipitous, strangely sculpted limestone islands and outcrops, and dotted with small floating villages and deserted sandy beaches.

The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders. These precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops.

Ha Long Bay was also recognised twice by UNESCO as World’s Heritage for its landscape and geographical values./.