Halong City - Travel & Tourism Guide Halong City - Viêt Nam

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The town of Halong, with its 300,000 inhabitants, is the ideal starting point for a cruise on Halong Bay. On the other hand, the town's appeal is limited and its appearance is rather disappointing: at Bai Chay, the waterfront is disfigured by hideous buildings, bordered by a greyish beach bathed by dubious water and a host of shops offering dodgy services. But Halong is still the stuff of dreams: Zhang Yimou, the Chinese director ofWives and Concubines and the master of ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics, has scouted the area on several occasions. Chinese tourists flock to visit the bay. Residents of the border province of Guangxi are exempt from visa requirements, and the Chinese yuan is even accepted by Vietnamese traders. Boats sail daily from Halong Bay to Beihai, in China's Guangxi province.