A residential area in 1920, which now belongs to Quang Yen Town. In the distance is Ha Long Bay with towering limestone mountains.
On the mainland, Vietnamese villages were then built in flat places so they could farm and grow crops.
Their houses boast simple designs with thatched roofs and leaf walls.
At the seaside, fishing boat villages are nestled against rocky mountains on Ha Long Bay, which was later recognized as a UNESCO heritage site and has become one of the top tourist attractions in Vietnam.
At that time, people mainly earned their living by fishing.
The French soon realized the tourism potential of Ha Long Bay, calling it the 8th wonder of the world.
Tourists at that time mainly came from Hanoi who arrived in Hai Phong by train and then reached Hon Gai by boat or car to enjoy a two-to-four-day journey to explore Ha Long Bay on luxury steamships.
Locals were recruited as tourist boatmen.
Cua Luc Bay was taken from Bai Chay towards Hon Gai in 1927.
With the presence of the French, many large projects were built to serve the rulers and merchants.
A typical example is the Société des Charbonnages de Hongay hotel, inaugurated at the end of 1924, near Hon Gai port.
According to many documents, the hotel has 28 bedrooms, a ground floor, a terrace overlooking the bay, and a wharf for boats and canoes.
The dining room and lounge are large, with full lighting and ventilation systems.
A traditional market in Tien Yen, an important land between Ha Long, Mong Cai and Binh Lieu.
In July 1886, the French occupied Tien Yen and built roads, waterways, and airways connecting Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Mong Cai.
A military post of the French was built on a hill in Uong Bi. At that time, most of the large buildings were built by the French.
