Quảng Ninh () is a centrally-governed city along the northeastern coast of Vietnam and part of the Red River Delta, located 153 km (95 mi) east of Hanoi. It is divided into 30 wards, 22 communes, and two special zones. The city covers an area of and, as of 2023, had a population of 1,413,452. Nearly 80% of the city is mountainous, with 90% of Vietnam's coal output extracted there. The city is also home to Hạ Long Bay, a World Heritage Site that has 1,969 islands, out of which 989 have been given names.
Quảng Ninh has a Human Development Index of 0.819 (very high), ranking second among all centrally-governed cities and provinces of Vietnam.
Geography The city has the shape of an oblique rectangle inclined in a northeast-to-southwest direction. To the west, it borders a forest and mountain region. To the east, it is adjacent to the Gulf of Bắc Bộ. It features a meandering coastline, estuaries and tidal flats and more than 2,000 islands. Exactly 1,030 of these have been named. Quảng Ninh's coordinates are longitude 106º25′ to 108º25′ east and latitude 20º40′ to 21º40′ north. Its width from east to west is 195 km (at the widest part).
The length from north to south of the city is 102 km. The northernmost point is in a mountain range at Mo Toòng village (Hoành Mô commune, Bình Liêu district). The southernmost point is in Hạ Mai Island (Ngọc Vừng commune, Vân Đồn district). The westernmost point is in Vàng Chua River (Bình Dương and Nguyễn Huệ communes, Đông Triều city). The easternmost point is inland at Got Cape, northeast of Trà Cổ commune, Móng Cái town.
Quảng Ninh is located by Vietnam's border with China inland towards the north; the former townships of Bình Liêu, Hải Hà, and Móng Cái all border Dongxing City and Fangcheng County in Guangxi, with the border length going up to 170 km. To the east, it adjuncts to Bắc Bộ Gulf. The city also borders Lạng Sơn province and Bắc Ninh city to the west, and Hải Phòng city to the south. The coastal line is 250 km. The total area of Quảng Ninh is 8,239.243 km2, of which 5,938 km2 is mainland. The area of islands, bays and sea is 2,448.853 km2. The total area of the islands is 619.913 km2.
Topography More than 80% of Quảng Ninh's area is made up of mountains and hills. The 2,000 some islands are also considered mountains. The mountainous zone can be divided into two parts: the eastern mountainous region extending from Tiên Yên through Bình Liêu, Hải Hà, Đầm Hà and Móng Cái; and the western zone ranging from Tiên Yên through Ba Chẽ and Hoành Bồ, north of Uông Bí Town. The former is a continuation of the Thâp Van Đai Son range in China. There are two main chains: Quảng Nam Châu 1,507 m and Cao Xiêm 1,330 m. The western zone features smooth and curved mountains called Đông Triều with Yên Tử mountain (1,068 m) in Uông Bí and Am Váp Mount (1,094 m) in the former Hoành Bồ district.
The midland and coastal plains include a range of hills weathered by both wind and water; forming fields and river basins. They include the zones of Đông Triều, Uông Bí, northern Yên Hưng, southern Tiên Yên, Hải Hà and some of Móng Cái. In the estuaries, alluvial soil is deposited, creating low tidal flats. This can be found in the areas of southern Uông Bí, southern Yên Hưng (Hà Nam Island), eastern Yên Hưng, Đông Rui (Tiên Yên), southern Đầm Hà and Móng Cái, southeastern Hải Hà.
In the sea and island zone of Quảng Ninh, there are more than 2,000 islands, making up two-thirds of the country's islands. They extend along the coast for more than 250 km and divide into layers. The largest islands are Cái Bầu and Bản Sen, while the smallest are like rocks in a garden. Vân Đồn and Cô Tô are island districts. There are thousands of islands on Hạ Long Bay and Bái Tử Long Bay, some of which contain caves. Besides areas of alluvial deposits, there are white sand zones which have built up from tidal action. Some places have formed white sand mines producing materials for the glass industry (Van Hai), or have developed into tourism spots (Trà Cổ, Quan Lạn, Minh Châu, Ngọc Vừng).
The sea bottom terrain of Quảng Ninh has an average depth of 20 m. There are the remnants of streams and underwater rocky banks. The streams from the mainland connect to drains along the sea-floor; creating a series of waterways, canals and harbours along the coast.
Hydrography In Quảng Ninh, there are rivers and springs which feature currents that differ between seasons. In winter, most rivers run dry; in summer, waterfalls pick up faster currents. The water current reaches 1.45 m3/s in dry season, and up to 1,500 m3/s in the rainy season. Quảng Ninh's sea borders upon the Gulf of Bắc Bộ. It is protected by the ranks of islands, so the wind is quieter and the water smoother. The gulf's current runs from north to south. It is Vietnam's coldest sea, with the temperature sometimes dipping below 13 °C. The average tide level recorded is 2.5 m.
Water resources
The largest rivers are: the Ka Long (the natural national border between China and Vietnam), Hà Côi, Đầm Hà, Tiên Yên, Phố Cũ, Ba Chẽ, Diễn Vọng, Trới, Míp, Uông, Đạm and Cầm rivers. The city border is the Kinh Thầy River which joins the Đá Bạch River and runs into Bạch Đằng. The total static capacity is estimated at 175.106 m3 of water. Out of the 72 lakes and dams, there are 28 large lakes with a total of capacity of 195.53 million m3 of water. The largest is Yên Lập Lake, which blocks the Míp Estuary. Its water volume is 1.18 million m3. Other lakes include: Khuất Động, Trúc Bài Sơn, Khe Táu, Đoan Tĩnh, Khe Uơn, Khe Chếnh, Yên Trung, Bến Châu, Trại Lốc, Rộc Cả and An Biên.
Underground running water can be found on some of the larger islands. According to prospective data, 13 urban and industrial areas make use of 64,388 m3 water/day. In the city there are natural bottle water points in Quảng Hanh (Cẩm Phả), Khe Lạc (Tiên Yên) and Đồng Long (Bình Liêu). Mineral water is concentrated in the village of Quảng Hanh. There are 15 exploration holes, and according to preliminary results, capacity could be 1,004 m3/day. Quảng Hanh mineral water is clear and colourless, with mineral content varying from 3.5 to 5.05 g/L.
Mineral resources The city has natural mineral resources of coal, limestone, clay, kaolin, white sand, granite and so forth. Reserves of anthracite coal account for 90% of coal output of Vietnam. Limestone reserves are estimated at 3.1 billion tonnes which would be the basic input for cement manufacture. Other mineral resources phosphorus, titanium, antimony, quartz, and oil have been found which could auger more industrial projects in the city. Clay and glassy sand, material inputs in the building industry for manufacture of tiles, bricks, and ceramics are present.
Climate
Quảng Ninh's climate is typical of the climate of Northern Vietnam; featuring all four seasons. In summer, it is hot, humid and rainy, while monsoons flourish. The average annual temperature recorded is 22.9 °C. In winter, it is cold (between 1 and 3 °C), dry, and sees less rainfall (between 150 mm and 400 mm). The average humidity is 82%. Annual average rainfall, influenced by north-eastern monsoons, varies between 1,700 mm and 2,400 mm (maximum recorded is 2751 mm), with rainfall concentrated in the summer months for 90 to 170 days, particularly in July and August.
Compared to other cities and provinces in the north, Quảng Ninh has been more influenced by the northeastern monsoon, in which mountainous regions such as Bình Liêu and Hải Hà, Đầm Hà experiences temperatures below 0 °C. Typhoons have an influence on the city, mainly in June, July and August; the intensity can be stronger in island and coastal regions.
Because of the terrain differences, the climates of sub-regions differ. Móng Cái is colder and rainy, with an average temperature of around 22 °C and rainfall reaching 2,751 mm. In Yên Hưng, the most southern area, the average temperature is 24 °C and gets an average rainfall of 1,700 mm. The mountainous region of the former districts of Hoành Bồ and Ba Chẽ has 20 days of frost a year. In the Bình Liêu District there is heavier rain (2,400 mm) and winter lasts for six months. The offshore island region is the wettest area, with 1,700 to 1,800 mm of rainfall per year, and winter is sometimes accompanied by mists.
Administrative divisions Quảng Ninh city divided into 54 commune-level administrative units, including 30 wards, 22 communes and 2 special zones.
30 wards: Hạ Long (capital), An Sinh, Bãi Cháy, Bình Khê, Cẩm Phả, Cao Xanh, Cửa Ông, Đông Mai, Đông Triều, Hà An, Hà Lầm, Hà Tu, Hiệp Hòa, Hoàng Quế, Hoành Bồ, Hồng Gai, Liên Hòa, Mạo Khê, Móng Cái 1, Móng Cái 2, Móng Cái 3, Mông Dương, Phong Cốc, Quang Hanh, Quảng Yên, Tuần Châu, Uông Bí, Vàng Danh, Việt Hưng, Yên Tử. 22 communes: Ba Chẽ, Bình Liêu, Cái Chiên, Đầm Hà, Điền Xá, Đông Ngũ, Đường Hoa, Hải Hòa, Hải Lạng, Hải Ninh, Hải Sơn, Hoành Mô, Kỳ Thượng, Lục Hồn, Lương Minh, Quảng Đức, Quảng Hà, Quảng La, Quảng Tân, Thống Nhất, Tiên Yên, Vĩnh Thực. 2 special zones: Vân Đồn, Cô Tô.
Demographics
According to the General Statistics Office of the Government of Vietnam, the population of Quảng Ninh city, as of 2025, was 1,523,400 people with a density of 244 persons per km2 over a total land area of . The male population during this period was 705,510 while the female population was 691,010. The rural population was 428,270 (30.67% of total population) against an urban population of 968,260 (69.33% of total population).
The dominant religious beliefs are of Buddhists, Christians and ancestor worship in addition to other folk beliefs.
Fauna and flora Identified floral species are numbered at 1,027 of 6 phyla, while faunal species are 120.
There are species of fish in the Gulf of Bắc Bộ. There are pearly mussels, stockfish, sea turtles and lobsters, while along the coastline, oysters and edible seaweed abound. These fish resources of the sea have been a source of income for the residents of Quảng Ninh.
There are fruit trees, lumber trees and industrial plants. The area for fruit trees in the former Đông Triều provincial city totals around 30 km2. Formerly in Quảng Ninh, there was more diverse wood available, in particular ironwood and teak trees. Later, there are mainly pine trees. In mountainous areas, there are a variety of trees and plants, providing spices and traditional medicines.
Economy
The People's Committee of the former Quảng Ninh province in 2007 approved proposals for development plans up to 2020. Mineral extraction industries are being developed. Special economic zones are being created and the plans envisage making the province a modern industrial province by 2015. The two economic development zones under development are the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone and the Van Don Economic Zone. Tourism is also a sector of economic development, which has been given priority. Quảng Ninh has targeted to become a regional high-quality tourism center and an economic growth hub in the North with synchronized socio-economic and technical infrastructure and improved living conditions.
Some of the economic indicators in agriculture, industries and other sectors are the following. There are 1,440 farms as against the national number of 120,699
The output value of agriculture produce at constant 1994 prices in the province was 952.5 billion đồngs against the national value of 156,681.9 billion đồngs.
The province produced 227,700 tonnes of cereals as against the national production of 43.68 million tonnes.
The per capita production of cereals in the district was 205.2 kg as against the national figure of 501.8 kg. in 2008.
In 2007, the industrial output of the province was 37,987.5 billion VND against the national output of 1.47 million billion VND.