The caves in Halong Bay are several thousand years old according to geologists worldwide. This results in Halong Bay caves’s beautiful limestone texture which will leave the pickiest tourists in awe.
Halong Bay is no stranger to tourists around the globe. It was considered one of the seven Nature Wonders of the World while being designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Vietnamese tourist attraction is famous for its geological and historical value as well as the diversity of the ecosystem. Halong Bay includes around 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars situated on the emerald-like water of the Gulf of Tonkin. It is a vision of ethereal beauty and, unsurprisingly, northern Vietnam’s number one tourism hub. Besides the historical value and the ecosystem, in order to discover the geological side of Halong Bay, you will definitely have to visit some of the many Halong Bay caves here.
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1. Surprise Cave - Hang Sung Sot Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Surprise Cave
Discovered in 1901 by a French geologist/scientist. The astonishing karst landscape as well as the voluminous space surprised the French geologist so much that he decided to name this Halong Bay cave: “Surprise Cave” or “Grotte de la surpris”. Surprise Cave welcomed its first tourist visitor in 1993.
Steep spiral hike consist of 50 steps upwards and 10 downward before entering Hang Sung Sot cave is exhausting, but once you get there, you will be rewarding with a refreshing atmosphere and beautiful karst geological scene
The entrance brings a sense of narrowness and underwhelming, but once advancing further into the cave, everyone will have only one reaction - surprised, hence the name
10km2 - 2 chambers:
The 1st chamber of Surprise cave: theater-like (high and cavernous) space, special geological pattern ceiling. There are also symbolic stalagmites, small ponds
The 2nd chamber of Surprise cave: 30m high ceiling and even more immense than the 1st chamber. The beautiful thing about Hang Sung Sot Cave is the Ceiling texture. It can stimulate visitors’ imagination however they want.
2. Dau Go Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Dau Go Cave
The name “Dau go” or “Giau go” (meaning: Wooden stakes/Wooden storage hideout) has many originalities. Firstly, local people said it was the wooden stakes storage for the famous naval battle of Bach Dang in 1422 against the navy of the mighty Mongolian. Secondly, others told the story of how the cave was a windless area due to the coverage of many other karst islands in front of it, that’s why fishermen often repaired their boats and left many wooden stakes inside the cave back in the past. Geographically, the whole island is shaped like a large piece of wood and the cave happens to be located at the tip of the island, hence the name. In 1938, a French tourism magazine named the cave: “Grottes des Merveilles” (Caves of Marvel)
Dau Go cave is a large cave with a total area of 5000m2. The entrance to the cave is also spacious allowing direct sunlight into the first chamber. Not only having gorgeous limestone features, Dau Go cave can also offer a diverse ecosystem with the existence of fauna and flora.
The Halong Bay cave is splitted into 3 chambers:
1st chamber: Because of the near-entrance position, the first chamber has plenty of sunlight which creates a bright and spacious chamber which will kindle your imagination when looking at the symbolic stalactites.
2nd chamber: Entering the second chamber, you will be able to see a ‘Rocky island’ karst magnum opus with giant rocks floating on water. The lack of sunlight compared to the first chamber will enhance your experience and help the magnum opus to be more beautiful while being somewhat mystical. Also, there are huge limestone pillars in the chamber to prove the thousands years this Halong Bay cave is
3rd chamber: A lake with clear freshwater can be found in the chamber. This lake is home to many kinds of marine species. Looking up to the ceiling of Dau Go cave, you can see some strange shaped stalactites. Some assume they look like some animals such as lions, deers, and elephants. So, let’s visit the cave and let your mind wander.
3. Dong Thien Cung Cave - Heavenly Palace Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Heavenly Palace Cave
Once upon a time, there was a disastrous drought that lasted through many crops, it heavily affected everyone’s life. The desperate people decided to beg for a favor from the Dragon King - the aquatic god who can control rain, water and tides. But the journey was arduous, many had died along the way. But there was a couple who was determined to find the Dragon King. They have a daughter and she grew up to be one of the most gorgeous at the time. She is so beautiful that the Dragon Prince fell in love with her, deeply. He decided to marry her, giving rain to the whole area. Their wedding was celebrated 7 days and 7 nights straight in the cave. There were dragons, lions, elephants and many festive ornaments which you can see on the texture of the cavern till this day. The name “Heavenly Palace Cave” originated from this lore.
In this Halong Bay cavern, all of the chambers’ details can spark the imagination of the visitor. Many of them carry the image of the wonderful wedding between the mortal and the immortal.
1st chamber of Dong Thien Cung cave: “Merry fairytale”
Picture of dancing and singing fairies, congratulating the Dragon Prince. Gorgeous stalactites hanging from the ceiling just like the chandeliers in the palace
2nd chamber of Dong Thien Cung cave: “Central beauty”
Spacious chamber with 4 large karst columns with several mysterious carvings which was believed to be the main wedding area. Entering the 2nd chamber, visitors can sense the carnivalesque atmosphere with people, plants and animals and the graceful curtains-like stalactites and stalagmites; as well as festive sound created by wind flowing through the space.
3rd chamber of Dong Thien Cung cave: “Lively fairyland”
Heavenly atmosphere with vast space and luminous lights combining with the karstic surroundings. There are many ponds in the chamber which supply endless freshwater which were believed to be where May bathed her 100 children.
4. Hang Trong Cave and Hang Trinh Nu Cave - Male Cave and Virgin Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Hang Trong Cave
These 2 Halong Bay caves share a heartfelt love story of a young couple who could not be together: Once upon a time, there was a beautiful fisherman’s daughter, whose family had to work for the rich fishing zone’s owner in Halong Bay. Captivated by her beauty, the landlord forced the family to give him the girl as a concubine. The girl protested, as she already had a lover, who at the time was fishing on the high sea to prepare for their wedding. The landlord, angered by her refusal, exiled her to a wild island until she suffered from hunger and exhaustion.
On this same night, sensing she was in danger, he rowed his boat in search of her as the storm roared on. Unfortunately, the crashing waves destroyed his boat and brought him to one of the nearby islands. He started calling as he caught a glimpse of his soulmate not faraway as the lightning flashed, but she could not hear his calls. He picked up a large rock and began to hammer on the mountain in hope of letting her know, until blood flowed from his hands, but there was no response. In his final exhaustion, he too turned to stone in what we now call Hang Trong Cave or the “Male Cave/Drum Cave”, situated just 700m away, facing the Virgin Cave.
Halong Bay Cave - Hang Trinh Nu Cave
Nowadays, in the center of the cave, there is still a stone with the shape of a girl lying down with her long hair looking towards the mainland, waiting to return to her lover. While at the entrance of the Male Cave, you can see a stone-shaped man gazing at Hang Trinh Nu cave for eternity. Local people say that they can still hear the rock hitting sound, especially during strong storms as the wind hit on the mountains
Trinh Nu and Trong Cave are medium-sized Halong Bay caves with large opening areas that allow tourists to enjoy both the beautiful karstic texture as well as the Halong scenery. While Hang Trinh Nu Cave offers spacious area and beautiful sunlight reflecting on the glittering rocks, Trong Cave has these beautiful, detailed stalactites supported by multi-color lights that create a mystical atmosphere. Plus, there is also a mini beach behind Hang Trinh Nu Cave where you can submerge yourself in crystal clear water.
5. The Maze Cavern - Hang Me Cung Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Me Cung Cave
This Halong Bay cavern dates back to 7000 years ago as it belongs to the early Halong culture. Archeologists have found evidence such as ancient seashells and animal fossils, both believed to be food of the prehistoric people and their ritual.
The Maze Cavern is not only a single cave but it is a complex including the Me Cung lake and the ecology systems outside of the cave.
After entering Hang Me Cung Cave through a tiny entrance inside of the huge cave opening, you will begin your journey passing through chambers after chambers. Unlike the other Halong Bay Caves, the Maze Cavern has a narrower space, with lower ceiling and confined passages. However, one thing still remains the same is the beautiful karstic terrain which took millions of years to perfect. After leaving the cave, hiking upward you will reach an observatory spot where you can see the Me Cung lake, one of the most preserved lakes in the area.
6. Hang Luon Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Luon Cave
Luon cave is a must-see attraction by both nаtiоnаl аnd intеrnаtiоnаl visitors. It is a different type of cave where you don’t see stalactites/stalagmites but the floor is the crystal clear water and the ceiling is the blue sky with the flickering sunlight on top of the limestone islets. To enter Luon Cave, tourists will have two options: kayaking or traveling on a small paddle boat through a low-lying grotto; as soon as you stroll past the entrance, you will be amazed by the surrounding limestone islets. Among Halong Bay caves, Luon cave is the strangest, which offers a completely different look of caves: It’s out in the open with fresh air, seabreeze and clear water; however, without symbolic limestone details and mystical light, it will still spark your imagination.
7. Hang Tien Ong Cave - Fairy Godfather Cave
Halong Bay Cave - Tien Ong Cave
Discovered in 1997, Hang Tien Ong Cave is a standing witness for the development of humanity in Vietnam with evidence such as stone tools, animal fossils, and seashells that are 8,000-10,000 years old. It means that the cave used to be a shelter to many prehistoric people.
Hang Tien Ong Cave has a 50m wide entrance but a smaller chamber space compared to other Halong Bay caves. There are two chambers separated by mammoth stalactites. In the first one, after years of geological faulting, many of the stalactites had fallen to the ground and turned into oddly shaped limestones as you will be able to witness while visiting the cave. In the second chamber, there are 3 limestone stalagmites with the shape of 3 kind-hearted fairy godfathers explained why the locals decided to name it “Fairy Godfather Cave”. Moreover, the process of developing stalactites as you can see water slowly dripping from the tip of the stalactites inside the cave. Although this Halong Bay cave has been discovered for around 25 years, it is still very unspoiled.
Halong Bay caves are truly gorgeous destinations to both enjoy the magical beauty and to learn about history, culture, and geological tectonics. Nowadays, there are more and more Halong Bay cruises making their routes to access those beautiful caves. Take your time to visit and admire nature's creation.
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02 Comments
Tajikistan
These caves are just awesome! Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.
Vietnam
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