Thien Duong (Paradise) Cave in Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province is located in the limestone mountains of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a World Natural Heritage Site. This cave has been described by speleologists as one of the most beautiful caves in the world.
In 2005, during an expedition in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, explorers from the British Caving Association discovered a strange cave. The entrance of this cave was so narrow that only one person at a time could go through, but inside, they were amazed at the beauty and grandiosity of the cave with its many blocks of sparkling and splendid stalactites and stalagmites. They named the cave Paradise.
The path leading to Thien Duong Cave.
Stalactites in the shape of a Rong house in the Central Highlands. |
According to measurements by the explorers, the cave is 31km long, 30-150m wide and 60-80m high. The British Caving Association considered it one of the biggest caves that the association had surveyed in the world.
Compared with other caves, the stalactite and stalagmite structures in Thien Duong Cave are larger and more diverse in shape. They were formed more than 400 million years ago. Some of them are more than five metres in diameter and look like imposing palaces. Just at the cave’s entrance, there is a stalactite arch, dozens of meters wide, and on both sides there are stalagmite clusters that look like beautiful terraced rice fields. Most strange are the stalactites hanging down from the ceiling that look as if they sprout from the ground.
Twinkling Thien Duong Cave. |
Rocky platforms look like terraced fields. |
A stalactite in the shape of a mammoth elephant. |
A corner in Thien Duong Cave. |
A stalactite is about dozens of metres in height. |
A stalactite called “Chi Thien (pointing to the sky) tower”. |
After Thien Duong Cave was discovered, the Management Board of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park assigned the Truong Thinh Group to work as an investor to open the cave for tourism purposes. After five years of investment, a system of wooden paths of nearly 1,000km and a modern lighting system have been built in the cave, creating a fanciful space.
Thien Duong Cave has become a famous destination for tourists who visit Quang Binh Province. With its magnificent beauty, Thien Duong Cave is considered a “paradise in the ground”, embellishing the World Heritage Site of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.
By Tat Son