At the end of 1937, a Swedish archaeologist named Anderson, together with two French archaeologist sisters named Conani, journeyed for months through Halong sea. They climbed mountains, visited caves and explored the coastline, finding many stone artifacts: axes, grinding tables, sewing needles and jewellery. They called the culture that formed these remnants “Ngoc Vung”.

In the months and years following, Vietnamese archaeologists continued their research and made many excavations; discovering more archaeological sites, such as Dong Mang, Xich Tho and Soi Nhu. Through an area of some hundreds of square kilometres, they discovered many stone artefacts and pieces of broken designed pottery.

Phóng to
Items have been found at Halong

Throughout its development, Halong has had a particularly important position; being situated on the communication routes between China, Japan and Thailand. Gradually, it became the centre of cultural and commercial exchanges between these countries and ancient Vietnam.

The book Comprehensive History of Dai Viet reads: "In the second month of the spring of the year of Ky Ty, the 10th year of the reign of Ly Anh Tong (1149), the commercial port of Van Don was established.”

In the long period overlapping the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties, Van Don was a place of busy commercial and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and its South-East Asian neighbours. A remaining vestige of the ancient commercial port is Cai Lang Wharf (Quan Lan).

Van Don is also a site that witnessed glorious feats of war against the invasion of the Yuan-Mongols aggressors. It was here that the enemy, General Truong Ho, had an entire fleet of food supply boats set ablaze by Tran Khanh Du. This contributed greatly to the victory of Bach Dang.

Closely linked to this animated commercial centre were many religious architectural constructions; built to meet the requirements of both traders and the population that practised Catholicism and Buddhism.

Phóng to
Dong pagoda (Yen Tu relic)	Me Cung cavern

At Soi Nhu, researchers found three fossilised human skeletons.

In particular, in the central zone of the present UNESCO World Heritage Site area, there have been recent discoveries of fascinating archaeological finds: Me Cung , Thien Long and Tien Ong grottoes. The quantity of ancient shellfish in the Melina Spring, indicated by the 1.5 m-thick heaps of shells, amounts to hundreds of cubic metres.

The archaeological sites of the Hạ Long culture are distributed everywhere, but are mostly found on the sandy beaches of the coastline, and in these caves and grottoes: Ngọc Vừng, Tuan Chau, Xich Tho and Dong Mang.

There are also sites far from the coast, such as Thoi Gieng and Tien Ong. Wherever the remnants of the first peoples of Halong are found, they seem to bear a common characteristic: the same materials, techniques, forms and designs. Scientists have called it the "Halong culture of the late period of the new Stone Age.”

In Cai Lang Wharf, along to 200m-long coastline scientists had found broken pieces of pottery and china forming a 0.6 m-thick layer. Ages date from between the Ly and Tran dynasties. Here, there are also foundations of ancient houses once built along the wharf. Apart from here, many other ancient wharves have been found, such as: Cong Dong, Cong Yen, Ngoc Vung, Quan Lan and Cai Bau. They have featured similar artefacts.

On Cong Dong Island alone, four pagodas were built. Among them, the Lam Pagoda is one of the most ancient in the area. It was built under the Tran Dynasty with three gates, a shrine to Buddha, anterior cult room and house of ancestors. On the north-east side of the pagoda was a tower, the remnants of which indicate it was a large and solemn construction.