Effort together
The Ministry of Construction's issuance of registration certificates in early April 2026 is the final procedures for the first 3 three-walled sailboats to officially serve tourists in Ha Long Bay.
Representatives of the three-wall sailing service operator in Ha Long Bay said that they are completing the final procedures to officially put it into service for tourists on April 30 - May 1.
This is the result of a long journey of efforts from all parties, including the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh province, the Department of Construction of Quang Ninh province, the unit owning the sailing fleet and artisan Le Duc Chan - the 17th generation successor of the traditional shipbuilding and three-walled boat profession in Quang Ninh. This is one of the unique types of boats - using sails to run against the wind.
Previously, there was also a business specializing in welcoming international cruise ships that proposed opening a sailing service to take tourists sightseeing along the coast of Ha Long Bay, from Bai Tho bridge, Hong Gai ward to the area near Hon Gai beach, Ha Long ward.
However, that idea, although highly appreciated by tourism businesses, has not become a reality for many reasons, including barriers from functional agencies.
This time, from the province to departments, agencies, branches, and localities, they are all very determined to create new unique tourism products, which has helped businesses confidently invest in building boats and exploiting this tour, because the cost of building a boat is not small, not to mention the operating process at sea is also quite expensive.
Representatives of the unit managing the 3 three-wall sailboats said that at first they were hesitant, but after being persuaded by leaders of departments and branches, they came to raise the issue with artisan Le Duc Chan, Phong Hai ward, former Quang Yen town, now Lien Hoa ward, Quang Ninh province.
Traditional sailboats of the famous Cong Muong craft village were successively born at the shipyard of artisan Le Duc Chan's family.
Witnessing directly the three-walled sailboats running along the coast of Ha Long Bay and red-hot on social networking sites for a whole month, with tourists and people flocking to take pictures with the three-walled sailboats, Mr. Chan was truly moved.
Speaking to the leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh province when visiting, Mr. Chan said with tears in his eyes that he had reported to his ancestors that not only he had preserved the profession, but also raised the profession to a new level.
New tourism experience on heritage bay
The three-walled boat is a traditional sailing boat with a history of hundreds of years, common in the Ha Nam island area (old Quang Yen). The structure of the boat is quite special, consisting of three planks combined (one bottom, two sides), using bat-winged sails dyed red-brown. Not only is it a means of livelihood, this is also a product of folk knowledge, showing the flexible adaptation of coastal residents to natural conditions.
The most unique feature of a three-walled boat is its ability to "run against the wind" - a rare thing in traditional sailboats. When operating, the wind impacting the sail system is cleverly arranged, creating thrust to help the boat move in a zigzag motion but still move forward.
For tourism workers in Quang Ninh, the introduction of three-wall sailboats to serve tourism in Ha Long Bay is opening up a new direction in developing tourism products associated with the preservation of indigenous culture.
This is considered a step to diversify the experience for tourists, while restoring a cultural symbol that was once closely associated with the lives of fishermen.
The recreation and introduction of three-walled sailboats into tourism exploitation is expected to bring completely different experiences to tourists when coming to Ha Long Bay.
According to the plan, the boats will operate on a coastal tourist route about 12km long, starting from the waterway passenger transport area near Ha Long 1 market, passing through coastal points and then returning to the starting point. Each trip lasts about 1 hour, with a frequency of many trips per day, serving on a small scale, each boat carrying a maximum of about 12 passengers.
Unlike modern tourist boats, three-deck sailboats bring a feeling of closeness, slowness and rich experience. Tourists not only visit the landscape but also "revive" the ancient fishing village cultural space, feeling how people use wind and water to control vehicles.
In particular, the image of red and brown sails standing out against the green background of Ha Long Bay promises to become an attractive visual highlight, attracting tourists to check-in, especially international visitors - those who are always looking for unique local cultural values.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of the three-wall sailing tour operator said that in the near future, the unit will continue to build 7 more sailboats to serve tourists experiencing Ha Long Bay.
