Quang Ninh (VNA) –Quan Lan island in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh has become a magnetto visitors thanks to its pristine beauty.

Quan Lan is located in the Bai TuLong National Park. There are many pristine beaches on the island, such as SonHao, Quan Lan and Minh Chau, to name just a few.

In Quan Lan beach, the water isclear and blue. Most accommodation facilities here are small houses at the footof the mountain. There are still few tourists, so the atmosphere is quiet.

The number of tourists to the island has sharply increased recently. In 2015,visitors to the destination numbered 45,000, almost doubling that in 2014. Inthe first ten months this year, it received 47,000 visitors.

The rise can be partlyattributable to more diverse tourism products. In previous years, bathing wasabout the only thing tourists could do in Quan Lan. But now they have a lot ofthings to keep busy.

According to Luu Thanh Vien, ViceSecretary of the Quan Lan commune Party’s Committee, local residents used tolive off fishing and catching Sa sung (a kind of marine worms). Sa sung is aspeciality of the region. It's used in cooking soup, which helps provide awonderful taste and adds nutrition to dishes. Digging for sa sung under thesand with the locals is a popular activity for tourists. Now these livelihoodshave become a tourism product.

Vien underlined the developmentof experience-based tourism in the commune, saying that the Van Hai Xanh JSCoffered a package named “Experience a day as farmer in Quan Lan island” in SonHao village, in which holiday-makers will join in caring for vegetable andfruit trees, harvesting and enjoy the fruit of their own work.

Meanwhile, Viglacera – Van HaiJSC offers community-based tours, such as fishing, fire camping, and sportgames.

The locality plans to open a QuanLan – Tan Lap tour, in which tourists will be taken by boats from Quan Lanbeach to Tan Lap hamlet located in Van Don town. They can join local fishermen’sdaily activities or visit orange gardens in Ban Sen, or other landscapes.

Quan Lan Island, around 55km awayfrom Ha Long City, is endowed with deep blue waters, white sandy beachesspanning several kilometres, and wild, green pines along the beach.

The sand on Quan Lan is differentfrom the sand on other beaches. It's white, tiny, pure and smooth. Thetransparent water allows you to gaze at the bottom of the sea where you canwatch fish swimming around colourful corals.

 Since the 11th century, Quan Lan had been astopover along the commercial route. In the 12th century, Quan Lan was thefirst trading port of Vietnam built under the Ly dynasty.

In 1149, King Ly Anh Tong set upVan Don town and Van Don trading port, which included Quan Lan Island, in orderto bolster commercial relations between Vietnam and other Southeast Asiancountries. Relics of the former trading port have been discovered with tracesof ancient architecture and grazed terracotta, proving that the place used tobe a crowded urban area.

During the fifth and sixth lunarmonths, the area annually celebrates religious ceremonies to remember thearea's former king, and residents also hold boat rowing festivals.

In 1288, the island was also thesite of the well-known defeat of invading Mongol troops, who were destroyed byGeneral Tran Khanh Du's army. Tourists can visit a temple in Quan Lan dedicatedto the General, where they can learn about the history of the region and theachievements of the commander. The temple's roof is hidden under pine canopies.Approximately 100 steps lead to the temple's entrance that is halfway up amountain.-VNA