Public outcry over construction near Ha Long Bay

Nature in danger: An aerial photo showing the construction site of a residential and hotel complex near Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province. — AFP

A huge residential complex being built on the borders of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay prompted a public outcry in the South-East Asian country, as concerns mount over human impacts that have degraded the Unesco World Heritage Site.

The bay, famed for its brilliant turquoise waters dotted with towering rainforest-topped limestone islands, is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting more than seven million visitors last year.