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.