In Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site teeming with large tourist boats, the wooden sailboats fishermen once handled have returned. Six "three-plank sailboats (thuyền ba vách)," restored by master craftsman Le Duc Chan from old drawings, have launched, and experience tours have begun. It's an about-one-hour cruise where you enjoy fishing-village cuisine and antiphonal song (hát đối) while listening to a multilingual guide by QR code. A "new way to ride the World Heritage," touching the culture of the sea people, on a different axis from the bustling tourist boats. The article was published on June 29, 2026.
Six sailboats restored from old drawings
The star of this tour is the three-plank sailboat that master craftsman Le Duc Chan restored based on old prototype drawings. Six vessels are deployed, operating daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Departure is from the transport wharf at Ha Long Market 1. It's an about-one-hour route from Bai Tho Bridge, touring the province's planning center and exhibition-fair area, and back.
It's not mere transport — the heart of the tour is experiencing the technology of the vanishing wooden sailboat and Ha Long's fishing-village culture.
Stories heard by QR, fishing-village meals, antiphonal song
Passengers scan a QR code and proceed across the bay while listening to a multilingual guide. On board, fishing-village cuisine is served, and you can also enjoy Vietnam's traditional call-and-response song "antiphonal song." Unlike touring famous sights by tourist boat, it's designed as an experience that touches the local life and sounds.
| Item | Details (yen equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Sailboats | Six three-plank sailboats (restored by master craftsman Le Duc Chan) |
| Operating hours | Daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. |
| Time required | About 1 hour |
| Departure | The transport wharf at Ha Long Market 1 |
| Adult fare | 200,000 dong (about 1,180 yen, 10,000 dong ≈ about 59 yen) |
| Children (height 1-1.3 m) | 100,000 dong (about 590 yen) |
| Under 1 m tall | Free |
| Opening perk | 30% off the first week |
Adults 200,000 dong (about 1,180 yen), children 1-1.3 m tall 100,000 dong (about 590 yen), and under 1 m free. The first week of opening has a 30%-off perk. At an accessible price, you can savor the World Heritage bay "culture and all."
Experiential value on a different axis from tourist boats
When it comes to Ha Long Bay, large cruise ships and stalactite-cave tours are the standard, but crowding and uniformity are challenges too. The three-plank sailboat tour offers an experience of "slowly steeping in the culture of the sea people" rather than "quickly touring the sights." The narrative of a restored traditional-craft vessel is strong too.
The move to "ride and experience" heritage is spreading everywhere. Like a heritage-train journey where the carriage itself becomes the destination (Related articles), it's the idea of loading a story onto the means of transport.
A discovery for Japanese travelers
For Japanese travelers visiting Ha Long Bay, "another option" has been added to the standard cruise. Its ease — about one hour and about 1,180 yen — makes it easy to fit even into a limited stay. With a QR multilingual guide, the language barrier is low too.
To a journey touring the north's nature and culture (Related articles), combining the fishing-village-culture sailboat experience lets you savor a depth of Ha Long beyond just "seeing the scenery." It also strikes home for those seeking a traditional-craft experience (Related articles).
Summary
Six three-plank sailboats restored by a master craftsman carry the story of fishing-village culture into Ha Long Bay. It's an experience on a different axis from tourist boats, enjoying a QR guide, fishing-village cuisine, and antiphonal song for about one hour at about 1,180 yen for adults. Such experiential content is broadening travel's options. If you visit Ha Long, try adding a sailboat experience to the standard cruise.
What is the three-plank sailboat — the restoration of a vanishing wooden craft
The "three-plank sailboat (thuyền ba vách)" is a wooden sailboat that Ha Long Bay's fishermen once used daily. It vanished as powered boats spread, and its boatbuilding technique was being lost too. This tour has significance in reviving the fading technique and fishing-village culture in a form you can "ride and experience," by using boats master craftsman Le Duc Chan restored based on old prototype drawings.
The World Heritage Ha Long Bay bustles year-round with large cruise ships and tourists, while crowding and uniform experiences have been challenges. The three-plank sailboat tour offers a value on a different axis — "slowly steeping in the local life and sounds" rather than "quickly touring famous sights." It's an effort aligned with the qualitative tourism improvement Quang Ninh Province is pursuing.
A practical note for Japanese travelers
Departure is from the transport wharf at Ha Long Market 1, operation is daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and it takes about one hour. At adults 200,000 dong (about 1,180 yen), children 1-1.3 m tall 100,000 dong (about 590 yen), and under 1 m free, the pricing is easy to fit in for families too. With a QR multilingual guide, worries about language are small. Just adding this sailboat experience to a standard cruise or stalactite-cave tour within half a day deepens the impression of Ha Long considerably.
Frequently asked questions
What are the fare and time required?
Adults 200,000 dong (about 1,180 yen), children 1-1.3 m tall 100,000 dong (about 590 yen), and under 1 m free. It takes about one hour.
Where do you board?
It departs from and returns to the transport wharf at Ha Long Market 1, operating daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Is it OK even if I'm not confident with the language?
Since you can listen to a multilingual guide by QR code, the language barrier is on the smaller side.
Sources
Dân Trí: Three-plank sailboat experience tour opens in Ha Long Bay
