Cua Van Fishing Village, Halong Bay: 2026 Status, History & Boat Tour Guide

By Jimmy, Halong Bay cruise specialist · Updated 9 October 2026

Cua Van Fishing Village 2026: What Remains, What You Will See and How to Visit

Cua Van is Halong Bay’s best-known floating fishing village, set in a lagoon ringed by limestone about 20 km from Tuan Chau on route VHL3. Under a resettlement programme begun in 2013–2014 most families moved ashore, so today you see it by rowed bamboo boat or kayak, past preserved floating houses, working fish farms and the Cua Van Floating Culture Centre.

Status (checked October 2026): Rowing-boat and kayak tours run normally. The Floating Culture Centre stopped receiving visitors on 25 April 2024 for repairs and was then damaged by Typhoon Yagi; Vietnamese media report that free giao duyên folk-song performances returned to Cua Van in March 2026, but we have not seen confirmation that the centre’s exhibitions have fully reopened. Ask us before you travel.

Cua Van Fishing Village at a Glance

Location	Former Hung Thang ward, Ha Long, inside Halong Bay; route VHL3
Distance	About 20 km from Tuan Chau / Ha Long International Cruise Port
Known for	Floating houses, sheltered lagoon, bamboo boat rowing, fishing heritage
Residents	Most resettled ashore since 2013–2014; some households keep fish farms
Heritage	Part of the Ha Long Ecomuseum; Floating Culture Centre opened in the mid-2000s with Norwegian support
Activities	Bamboo boat, kayak, folk-song performances (when scheduled), photography
Route	VHL3, with Ba Ham Lake, Tien Ong Cave, Ba Men Temple and the Bamboo Forest
Ticket	VHL3 route ticket (200,000 VND, Management Board 2025); rowing boat usually included on tours
Best time	Morning; March–May and September–November
Find it	Google Maps · TripAdvisor

Is Cua Van worth it? Yes for the scenery, the slow boat ride and the story of the bay’s boat people; less so if you expect a busy living village. For a more lived-in feel, Vung Vieng on the eastern side of the bay is the better choice.

Cua Van Fishing Village colorful floating houses against towering limestone karsts in Halong Bay's UNESCO World Heritage zone, Vietnam — Cua Van floating fishing village in a sheltered lagoon of Halong Bay

What Makes Cua Van Special

A lagoon village

Cua Van Fishing Village sits in a calm basin enclosed on almost every side by limestone, sheltered from wind and waves, which is why fishermen settled here for generations.

Living heritage of the bay

Cua Van’s Floating Culture Centre, the first museum of its kind for a boat-dwelling community, is one of the components of the Ha Long Ecomuseum, created to protect the bay’s fishing culture.

Quiet water

Few motorised boats enter the lagoon, so the bamboo boat ride is peaceful, with only the sound of oars.

History of Cua Van

Generations on the water

Families lived here on boats and later on floating houses for generations, at one time more than 170 households, with a floating school that became famous in travel photography.

Resettlement

In March 2013 Quang Ninh launched a resettlement project worth more than 200 billion VND, and from 2014 most families from the bay’s floating villages moved to the Cai Xa Cong resettlement area in Ha Phong ward. By 2024 nearly 330 households, about 3,000 people, from seven villages in the core zone had moved ashore, according to Nhan Dan. Some families keep aquaculture rafts in the lagoon.

Preservation

In 2019 a project preserved 20 floating houses and recreated a floating classroom. The old floating classrooms partly sank on 26 September 2023, and nearly 70 floating houses and classrooms were entrusted to the Ha Long Bay Management Board for conservation.

The Floating Culture Centre

Built with about US$410,000 of Norwegian support and more than 330 m² in size, the centre opened in the mid-2000s (sources give 2006 or 2007) and was moved about 800 m to the old village centre after upgrades in 2016–2017. Its six exhibitions cover fishing tools, boats and daily life. See the Management Board page.

Children rowing to Halong Bay's first floating school at Cua Van Fishing Village — a defining image of life in Vietnam's largest floating community — Floating houses and fish farms at Cua Van

Things to Do at Cua Van

1. Bamboo boat ride

Local rowers, many from former village families, take you around the lagoon in about 30–45 minutes, past floating houses and fish cages.

2. Kayaking

Some cruises offer kayaks instead. Rowing and kayak services were wrecked by Typhoon Yagi in September 2024 and have since been rebuilt.

3. Folk songs

Giao duyên courting songs, performed by former villagers, were revived for visitors in 2026; ask whether a performance is scheduled.

4. The rest of route VHL3

Combine Cua Van with Ba Ham Lake (a chain of enclosed lagoons), Tien Ong Cave and Ba Men Temple.

Bamboo boat ride through Cua Van Fishing Village waterways, passing colorful floating houses and fishing boats, Halong Bay Vietnam — A bamboo boat tour through Cua Van fishing village

Hours, Tickets and Etiquette

Item	Details (checked October 2026)
Hours	Daytime; boats follow Halong Bay schedules (from 05:00 to 20:00 in summer)
Ticket	VHL3 route ticket (200,000 VND on the Management Board’s 2025 list); rowing boat usually included in tours
Etiquette	Ask before photographing people; do not board houses or rafts uninvited
Safety	Life jackets on bamboo boats and kayaks

How to Get to Cua Van

Option	How it works	Notes
Overnight cruise on VHL3	Some Halong Bay ships include Cua Van	Check the itinerary
VHL3 day boat	About 6 hours from the port	With Ba Ham Lake and Tien Ong Cave
Private boat	We can arrange it	Flexible timing

Best Time to Visit

Months	Conditions	Tip
March–May	Mild, calm	Good light
June–August	Hot, storm risk	Go early
September–November	Clear and calm	Best
December–February	Cool, misty	Atmospheric photos

See the best time to visit Halong Bay.

Cua Van vs Vung Vieng

	Cua Van	Vung Vieng
Location	Halong Bay, route VHL3	Eastern Halong Bay, route VHL4
Feel	Heritage site, quiet	Some families still farm fish and pearls
Access	VHL3 boats, some cruises	Cruises sold as Bai Tu Long

Our view: If a fishing village is your priority, Vung Vieng on a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise usually feels more alive.

How Cua Van Fits a Halong Bay Cruise

Sail from Ha Long towards the central bay
Switch to a bamboo boat at Cua Van Fishing Village
Continue to Ba Ham Lake or a kayak stop

Local Expert Tips

These tips come from more than a decade of arranging Halong Bay trips for international travellers.

Bring small notes to tip the rower
Morning light is best for photos
Do not buy seafood from boats approaching cruises
Ask us whether the culture centre is open on your date

Plan Your Visit

Ask us which cruise includes Cua Van Fishing Village on your date via WhatsApp +84 886 261 368, or compare overnight cruises. Best Price Guarantee included.