Hạ Long is the capital city and first-class provincial city of Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. It was founded in 1993, when the old capital, Hòn Gai, was merged with Bãi Cháy, the main tourist area. The city mainly lies on Hạ Long Bay, and is located at about 178 km east of Hanoi. The city's population in 2019 was 300,267.