The newspaper said the UNESCO World Heritage Site came in fifth among the top 10 most popular Asian gems, which was topped by the Great Wall of China.

Around 5.2 million foreigners visited Ha Long Bay last year, up 22 percent from a year ago, accounting for 30 percent of the 15.6 million foreign tourist arrivals to Vietnam.

The boom in foreign tourists in Ha Long Bay is attributed to major infrastructural improvements that have made it easier for foreigners to visit the world-famous bay, according to SCMP.

Mount Fuji in Japan came in second on the top 10 list, followed by China’s Forbidden City and India’s Taj Mahal.

The rest were Mount Everest in Nepal and Tibet; Angkor Wat in Cambodia; Komodo Island in Indonesia; The Grand Palace in Bangkok; and Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.-VNA