Phat Co Island is located in Bai Tu Long Bay, about 1.5km from the Viet – My tourist port. Viewed from the shore, the island resembles a green arc guarding the vast sea – where a carrageenan seaweed "farm" is located.
Phat Co Island – Home to a floating marine farm in Bai Tu Long Bay
Phat Co Cave
The island is situated in the Port of Village 2 area, Ha Long Commune, Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province. During the occupation of the mining area, the French named the island Île du Marquis (the Marquis). On July 13, 1968, the Ministry of the Interior revised and standardized the name of Île du Marquis as Phat Co Island and that has remained the island's official name to this day.
Phat Co Island. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Phat Co Island is actually a rocky island much like many other limestone islands in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays, but what sets it apart is Phat Co Cave, one of the largest caves in Bai Tu Long Bay. In front of the cave entrance lies a golden sand beach about 50m long, ideal for visitors to swim and relax.
Cave entrance. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Phat Co Cave resembles an egg, with the pathway up to the cave located roughly around the middle of the egg. From the sandy beach, climbing up the steep stone steps leads to the cave entrance. The cave is very spacious, with many stalactites and stalagmites resembling natural works of art. In dark alcoves, water dripping from the ceiling creates a humid cave atmosphere.
A natural pool of water. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Phat Co Cave. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Entering the cave through dark passages, visitors are astonished by a powerful beam of light—natural sunlight streaming through a cave opening shaped like a giant funnel. Thanks to this light source, numerous plant species thrive inside the cave, creating an eye-catching lush green carpet.
Eye-catching stalactites. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
With wind blowing down from above and in through the cave openings, the interior of the cave remains dry. Looking up from the bottom of the cave toward the southern entrance offers a wonderful vantage point to gaze out over a vast, undulating corner of Bai Tu Long Bay. Looking forward from this cave opening is Hon Mieu, where Soi Nhu Cave is located—a dwelling site of ancient Vietnamese people dating back 10,000 years ago.
The cave has multiple chambers. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Floating farm on the sea
Not only home to caves, Phat Co Island also boasts a floating farm cultivating carrageenan seaweed on the sea surface right at the foot of the rocky island. This is the first successful carrageenan seaweed farming model in the waters of Quang Ninh Province.
Photo: quangninh.gov.vn.
The floating farm was established in February 2021 and officially commenced operations after three months. It was constructed using HDPE panels and blocks, providing a beautiful, sturdy, and well-equipped space.
Successful carrageenan seaweed cultivation. Photo: VnExpress.
The floating farm covers about 10 hectares on the sea off Phat Co Island. Visitors can walk to tour the surrounding cottonii seaweed cultivation rafts or row boats to visit the "floating buoy gardens" where cottonii seaweed is hung.
Seaweed is cultivated in concentrated areas. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Visitors can also visit the seed bank and seaweed drying platforms floating in the middle of the sea, which are made entirely of large HDPE panels. Coming here, visitors can experience harvesting seaweed, preliminary processing, drying it, and enjoying distinctive dishes prepared from cottonii seaweed.
The cottonii seaweed farm. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Cottonii seaweed at Phat Co Island reaches maturity after only 2 to 2.5 months of cultivation. This is also the stage when the seaweed meets the criteria to become raw materials for processing food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and more.
Cottonii seaweed is used for multiple purposes. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Three crops of cottonii seaweed can be cultivated each year, with yields reaching 70-100 tons/ha/year. At the current price of 2,500-3,000 VND/kg fresh, revenue can reach around 200 million VND/ha, helping transform the economy and improve the quality of life for seaweed farmers.
