The fishermen and fishing families of Halong Bay live on small floating houses anchored in sheltered coves at the bases of tall mountainous islands, thus deriving some natural protection from Mother Nature’s wrath in typhoon season. There are several fishing villages in the bay, the largest being Cua Van with about 130 floating houses and a population of about 600 people.

Vong Vieng floating village

Vong Vieng floating village

There are about 50 families in the village and the population is between 200 and 300 residents, including nearly 100 children.

These families have lived in this village for generations. Their floating houses look spacious and clean. The well-off families even have tiled roof houses with radios, television sets, tables and chairs, etc. There is one community house here where villagers come to have meetings. Here is also the place tourists stopover to shop some traditional hand made items.

 

Cua Van fishing village

Van Gia - Cua Van is situated at Hung Thang Commune, Halong City, 20km away from the tourist boat wharf, the fishing village lies in a calm bay surrounded by mountain. Cua Van Village has a population of 733 in 176 households. They mainly earn their livelihood by fishing.

This makes it ideal for anchoring boats here. Their floating houses look spacious and clean. The well-off families even have tiled roof houses with radios, television sets, tables and chairs, etc.

Cua Van ( Van Gia)  floating village

Floating village in Halong bay

More Reference about Halong bay floating villages:

Cua Van Village lies in a calm bay surrounded y a thousand green isles, about 30km away from Bai Chay Harbour.
However, it is totally different from other villages. It has no busy lanes or streets, no electric lines and no houses or high buildings; instead, there are groups of little boats and rafts bobbing up and down on the waves.

Cua Van Village is home to about 200 households with nearly 800 people. They all earn their living through fishing and aquaculture. For one hundreds of years, the residents have settled here.

Shool for children in Van Gia village - Cua Van

Together with three other fishing villages in the area: Vong Vieng, Cong Tau and Ba Hang, Cua Van has built up a distinctive native culture among the fishing communities that can't be mistaken with any other. Cultural products from the village are all very colourful, from hat giao duyen (provincial love duet songs), hat cheo duong (songs along the way), hat dam cuoi (provincial wedding songs) and ho bien (songs sung out to the boats), to home remedies for sea travellers, unique nautical experiences and other typical manners and customs of the fishermen.

Tran Van Tuan