Hạ Long Bay and Our Promise of Divine Protection

I curated this embroidery piece that so exquisitely encapsulates the tranquil and bewildering essence of Vịnh Hạ Long (or Hạ Long Bay), once a secret spiritual anchor for the Vietnamese people, now known as one of the most desirable cruise and travel destinations to the world's most Instagramable influencers.  And yes, I meant to say that facetiously.

Of course, I would expect nothing less from the masterful, delicate hands that hailed from the artisan village of Phú Xuyên. This artist has managed to capture- stitch by stitch, pigment by pigment - a frozen moment in time of what is now only a wistful distant memory.

Perhaps she also wanted to reminisce a time when the unadulterated, emerald green water of Hạ Long Bay gently cradled our people's livelihoods on fragile, wooden fishing boats sailing home as the evening sun kisses the majestic dragon limestone formations, assuring us that we are protected forevermore from the foreign invaders who have never ceased their attempts to usurp our land, our culture, our identity.

After all, Hạ Long means "Descending Dragons," the remnants of the heavenly creatures who were sent from above to help us thwart the unwelcome intruders from the North, a Divine reminder that we are the descendants of the Fairy Mother and Dragon Father, and no weapon formed against us shall ever pass these shielding towers of jagged limestone edges.

But today, a Google search of "Ha Long Bay" only returns endless results of luxury cruise ships, of restaurant reviews, of picturesque videos from lavish influencers ready to give their sponsored opinions on whether Ha Long Bay is "worth visiting or not," without ever mentioning a word about the legendary and cultural significance of the sacred landscape. 

Well...I have news for you: it is irrelevant to us whether the influencers think Vịnh Hạ Long is worth visiting or not. Because Vịnh Hạ Long is not a "travel destination." Vịnh Hạ Long is the loyal Divine protection that has guarded our people's land, spirits, and culture for millennia from the attempted dilution of foreign forces, and no amount of Yelp reviews will ever change that.