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The “Kissing Rocks”, the icon of Vietnam in the heart of Ha Long Bay, are in danger of collapsing.
Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province is dotted with hundreds of small islands, and in 2019 it attracted 4 million tourists.
The twin rocks, which rise from the bay and appear to be touching, or “kissing”, are very popular with visitors.
But experts, in a report published in July, warn that rising sea levels and fishing boats traveling too close are causing the reef to erode.
Ho Tien Chung of the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources said illegal fishing and unregulated tourism are further accelerating reef erosion.
While the institute was conducting research, experts observed deep cracks dotting the cliffs, warning that they could collapse unless action is taken to preserve them.
The islands in the bay have long been plagued by coastal erosion, and several other notable tourist attractions have been severely damaged in recent years by crashing seas.
To combat the effects, the report calls on officials to introduce new regulations in the bay, including limiting the speed of ships passing through it to just 5-10 km/h.
Local fishermen should also be warned to avoid fishing around the rocks to reduce flooding while cracks in the island can be filled with cement to secure the foundations.
