The name Hạ Long means “descending dragon”. Administratively, the bay belongs to Ha Long city, Cam Pha city, and is a part of Van Don district. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and sizes. Hạ Long Bay is a center of a larger zone that includes Bai Tu Long Bay to the northeast, and Cat Ba Island to the southwest. These larger zones share a similar geological, geographical, geomorphological, climate, and cultural characters.

Now Hạ Long Bay or Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination in Vietnam.