Special Boat Cruise
Around Hanoi
THE BEST CRUISE ON THE
RED RIVER
History Overview
The Red River is the second
largest river of Vietnam after Mekong. It descends from
Yunnan, a mountainous region south of China. It is known
as the "six-head river" that enters Vietnam definitively
at Lao Cai. It curves on more than 1000km ( over 600
miles ) before dying in the somptuous bay of Hạ Long.
The Red River delta is
the hub of all economic activity in the north of
Vietnam, where the majority of the region's population
is concentrated. The delta, which supports nearly half
the country's rice production, is under threat due to
its strategic position and unchecked population growth
that is putting an increasing strain on resources. Food
production is endangered by periodic flooding and
environmental degradation caused by intensive farming
methods designed to increase crop yields. Vietnamese
planners are using satellite imagery to model and
monitor change in an effort to solve the delta's
problems.
Deforestation in the
hills surrounding the Red River delta is leading to
increased erosion, which in turn is causing more solid
matter to be washed down to the delta. Alluvium that
would otherwise provide rich nutrients for delta soils
is blocked by levees built in the 18th century. And
tectonic activity is causing basins barely four to five
metres above sea level but as far as 60 kilometres
inland to become permanently water-logged.
The rice harvest
during the second half of the year is vital to food
production in the delta. This period is invariably
preceded by flooding that poses a serious threat not
only to agriculture but also to the economy in general.
One of the effects of new free-market policies has been
to increase crop yields through intensive farming
practices, which only degrade the environment further.
Population densities exceed 1 000 inhabitants per square
kilometre in the major cities of Hanoi and Haiphong in
the north of the country.
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MAP
CRUISE AROUND HANOI ON RED RIVER DETAIL |
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Daily On Red River Cruise Tours
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Tours
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in months
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