Hạ Long () is the capital city and first-class provincial city of Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. The name Hạ Long () means "descending dragon". The city was founded in 1993, when the old capital, Hòn Gai, was merged with Bãi Cháy – the main tourist area. The city mainly lies on Hạ Long Bay, and is located at about east of Hanoi. The city's population in 2013 was 227,000. Overview The city's economy has recently switched from coal mining to tourism, due to the large number of visitors drawn by the Hạ Long Islets every year. At present, Hạ Long is enjoying rapid growth not only in tourism sphere, but as a destination upon the main pathway to southern China. In 2007 Vietnam-China Business Forum, a $400 million deal was signed to build a highway linking Hạ Long, Móng Cái and Quảng Ninh. Hạ Long city is divided into two parts. The eastern part, Hòn Gai, where most of the official buildings and industrial infrastructure are concentrated, is connected by bridge with the western part, Bãi Cháy, known as an area for tourism. Location Being a coastal city, Hạ Long bears unique potentials of tourism and seaport due to its land lies along the shore of Hạ Long Bay by 50 km. Hạ Long is 160 km to the north-east from Ha Noi, 60 km to the east from Hai Phong, 180 km to the south-west from Móng Cái international border gate, and bounded by the Gulf of Tonkin to the south. Hạ Long has strategic location of economic development, security of the region and the country. History Humankind has been present on Hạ Long Bay for a long time. Over the years, archaeologists, researchers concluded that over the course of history, there were three cultures known as Soi Nhu, Hạ Long and Cai Beo culture. It shows that the bay and its surrounding areas were one of the cradles of mankind. The heartland of today's Hạ Long City is formerly just a fishing village, called the Oyster Coast. By the beginning of the Nguyễn dynasty, it was renamed to Mau Le. The current city was then part of Hoành Bồ District. In 1883, during the French occupation era, the French carried out coal mining in the mines on the Gulf Coast. As on many islands there were lots of hemp so the French called them Ile des brouilles or