Bai Chay is a huge and attractive beach that overlooks Halong Bay. This man-made beach is extremely large and is isolated from the neighboring countryside by two kilometers of limestone hills. At 100 meters wide and approximately 500 meters long, it is among the largest beaches in Vietnam.
legends
Bai Chay Beach is made of dark-colored sand, which is ironic since Bai Chay means ‘burnt beach’. The name Bai Chay comes from a story dating back to 1287. At that time, a fleet of ships carrying food for an invading army was anchored in the bay. This fleet belonged to the Yuong-Mongol conqueror Truong Van Ho. The indigenous troops, led by Tran Khanh Du, set fire to the entire fleet, which was then fueled by an unusually strong wind. The burning ships then separated and washed ashore, where they burned with such ferocity that the nearby forest that once stood to the west of Cua Luc was destroyed.
Another legend says that the western side of Cua Luc once had a pier that was used to give boats access to shore. These boats struggled with acorn barnacles that frequently clung to the sides of the eaves, below the waterline. These barnacles were a threat to sink other neighboring ships. Local sailors used leaves from the casuarina trees to burn the barnacles. The neighboring villages could always see the llamas coming from the beach, and so they called it Bai Chay.
Tourism
Like the entire Halong Bay area, Bai Chay Beach has a tropical climate. It is usually warm and thousands of residents and tourists have been known to fill the beach with a lively atmosphere during the cooler hours of the day. Access to this beach is possible via a paved path that is bordered by the beach’s powder-white sand and lush green rows of casuarina trees.
Visiting tourists can feast at the surrounding family restaurants. The beach also has resident fishermen who can bring locally caught seafood or local cuisine to beachgoers. There is also the opportunity to get off the beach and board one of the neighboring cruise ships for meals or tours of the bay. Curious travelers can even charter their own boat to travel within the safety of Halong Bay.
Travelers can be entertained by watching various theatrical attractions such as water puppetry, traditional musical theater and sporting events. For overnight tourists, accommodation is available at a variety of price points, including full resort-style lodging, various luxury hotels, and even locations in the quaint local towns. With the beautiful scenery and friendly atmosphere, no trip to Halong Bay is complete unless it includes time to enjoy Bai Chay Beach.
