LOCALS CELEBRATE HA LONG BAY’S NEW STATUS

Halong Grotto - Vietnam

Ha Long Bay of Vietnam has just obtained the temporary status as the World’s New 7 Wonders of Nature

Local officials, residents and tourists yesterday celebrated Ha Long Bay’s temporary status as the World’s New 7 Wonders of Nature.

On the evening of November 11, authorities in Quang Ninh Province stayed up late to wait for the announcement from the New Open World Corporation, an associate of the Swiss corporation New 7 Wonders Foundation which selects the Wonders of the World based on public voting.

The good news made many people burst into tears.

“I would like to thank everyone in the country and overseas who have voted for Vietnam,” Pham Minh Chinh, Secretary of Quang Ninh Province’s Party Committee, told Dan Tri Newswire after receiving the news.

Chinh said he wanted to send special thanks to foreign friends in other countries who voted for Ha Long and the New Open World Corporation for organizing a fair and honest campaign.

On Saturday morning at Bay Chay Tourist Wharf in Ha Long Bay, there were happy smiles on the faces of staffs and tourists.

Leading a group of foreign tourists, Ian Richards from Australia said he arrived on Friday afternoon and saw banners everywhere urging people to vote for Ha Long Bay.

So he asked his group to come to the wharf to celebrate and share the joy with locals and other tourists.

“I have visited Ha Long Bay several times and am stunned by the natural beauty here. After this trip, I will go back to my country and tell friends and family so that they will book a tour to Ha Long Bay as soon as possible,” he said.

Nguyen Quang Tuan, a tourist from Hanoi said he and his friends had been texting to support Ha Long Bay.

“We arrived yesterday and registered a tour to visit Ha Long Bay today. On knowing that the Bay had been listed as a new natural wonder, we went straight to the wharf to celebrate,” Tuan said.

Ha Quang Long, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports said this was an initial success for long-term efforts of local authorities and residents in Quang Ninh.

“Ha Long Bay deserves to be one of the world’s new seven wonders of nature,” Long said.

The selection of the new seven wonders was made based on preliminary results of the voting of 400 wonders from more than 200 countries and territories that ended at 11:11 pm on November 11, 2011.

Final results will be announced early next year.

(Source:Tuoitrenews)