An interpid traveler of his
time, Vietnamese Emperor
Khai Dinh (1885-1925)
took twelve of his most
trusted followers on an
exceptional trip to
Halong Bay in 1917. His
ship was one of the best
of the wonderful wooden
junks that plied the
waters of the Bay.
The tale of his trip
began to circulate among
Halong shipbuilders,
with successive
generations hoping to
duplicate his
magnificent boat. After
an exhausting search of
thousands of ancient
drawings, one night
80-year-old master
shipbuilder, Nguyen Van
Hoa, discovered a
fragment of the design
for the Emperor’s famous
junk. Having tirelessly
restored the drawing all
that was now required
was some support to turn
this long cherished
dream into reality.
In January 2005, a
chance meeting took
place between Antoine
Bertrand, a gifted young
French architect, his
colleague, Anne Drousie,
who wanted to build a
luxury boat in the style
of the ancient
Vietnamese junks, and
Master Hoa. Fiercely
determined, the French
architects and
Vietnamese master
shipbuilders toiled for
two long years. Finally,
in July 2007, 90 years
after Khai Dinh had
originally set sail, the
Bhaya was launched – a
perfect blend of the
experience and talent of
the ancient master and
the youthful creativity
of the Frenchman and his
friend.
