If you have travelled to Ha Long, you’re surely fascinated by the magnificent beauty of Ha Long Bay. Famous for diverse natural landscapes and beautiful and unique caves, Ha Long now becomes the tourist attraction as an ideal place for trekking tours, sightseeing, recreation and swimming. Each cave in Ha Long Bay has a special name that make visitors’s curiousness awaken, they may eager to discover the mysterious beauty at every sight as well as attraction of these caves, and see the spectacular and massive of a world natural wonder.
1. Thien Cung Cave (Paradise Cave)
Situated on the southwest side the bay, Thien Cung Cave is one of the most magical cave in the caves system of Ha Long Bay. The way leading to this cave is covered on both sides by thicket forest. Passing a narrow gate, you will see the grotto’s 130-meter-long girth open up. Travellers are astonished by the very stunning scenery outside and inside, especially the very animated and splendid beauty which is made from stalactite. Moreover, on the east wall of the grotto, there is a grandiose and imposing picture with characters of heroic tales. Once visiting Thien Cung Cave, you will have a sensation of just having seen a unique. meticulous, interesting fine-art museum created by nature. The more you get deep inside, the amazed vivid beauty and splendor appeared in your eye, you will fell the endless beauty of the cave.
Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave)
Located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sung Sot cave area is located on Hon Bo island, and is one of the largest caves of Ha Long Bay. The mouth of the cave is hundreds of stone steps high. Sung Sot Cave into two arches; The first arch resembles a wide theater with many stalactites hanging from the ceiling. A narrow path leads to the second room, where there is a flood of natural light. Light is filtered in from above, through a large opening that creates a natural light and makes up the exit from the cave. The arches in the cave are vast enough for it to hold thousands of people. At the deepest part of the cave is a “royal garden” that appears with an attractive pond and a landscape of small mountains.Many species of animals and plants can be found here.
The cave is about 10,000 square meters wide. There are thousands of stalactites and stalagmites along the 500m passage in the cave. The lines shining in the cave make for a great scene. Colorful lighting is placed in the cave to be unobtrusive and increase the value of the cave. The 300m high dome, walls and countless explosions are proof of millions of years of creation. Near the exit, there is an image of an elephant stretching from the floor of the cave to the dome of the cave.
And of course, every victory is associated with a legend. One of them has a stone in the shape of a horse and a long sword. According to legend, Saint Giong helped the people of the area to drive away evil spirits and invaders. After the battle, Saint Giong flew with his horse to the sky, leaving a horse and sword behind to ensure that the invaders did not dare to return.
Bo Nau Cave
Bo Nau Cave shaped cleft, measuring approximately 200 m2, wide cave bottom, flat but not deep, walled with stalactites … Bo Nau Cave way Trong Mai Islet approximately 2-3 km southeast of the Bo Nau cave .
Bo Nau Cave in Ha Long Bay has a cleft shape, about 200 m wide, the bottom of the cave is wide, flat but not deep, the wall has many stalactites. There is a crack in the ceiling of the cave so light can pass through it. The bottom of the cave is tight, in front of the cave is an island, so the light in the cave is never bright. The entrance of the cave has three stone slabs shaped like three fairies with their heads together in the posture of two people playing chess and one acting as a referee. Bo Nau Cave is one of the beautiful caves of Ha Long Bay, where it is the inspiration of many photographers because of its beauty.
In the cave, the ceiling of the cave is 30 m high with small, regular and smooth indentations as if decorated with porous material, looks like the ceiling of a big theater, very magnificent. Near the entrance emerged huge stone blocks piled high from the ground to the ceiling of the cave. This is one of the typical karst caves, with high scientific value.
Right next to the entrance is a stalactite shaped like a horse and a long sword. An old legend has it that, after defeating the An enemy, Thanh Giong helped the people here chase away the demons. When the rebellion was over, Saint Giong flew back to heaven, leaving a sword and a precious horse to reassure the people. banish demons. Currently, in the cave, there are many natural images that seem to be the vestiges of that fierce battle, the footprints of Giong’s horse became small beautiful ponds and many large broken rocks…
Dau Go Cave (Wooden Head Cave)
Dau Go Cave is located on Dau Go Island. The entrance of the cave is blue in the shape of a jellyfish, the dome is 25m high with hundreds of giant stalactites hanging down like a strange waterfall. Dau Go Cave – the first attraction of Halong tours is divided into three main compartments. The outer compartment has a dome shape filled with natural light. The ceiling of the cave is a giant “oil painting”, depicting the unspoiled natural landscape with forests of stalagmites, multicolored stalactites creating many strange shapes depending on the rich imagination of each person. herd of elephants are looking for food, the deer are bewildered, the lion is sleeping… Below is a turtle swimming in the middle of a vast pool of water. Standing under the arch of Dau Go cave, we feel like we are standing in the middle of an ancient castle with massive and majestic architecture.
Passing the first compartment, through a narrow door, we will enter the second compartment of the cave. The light shining in here is dim, and new paintings appear mysteriously glittering. The clusters of stone flowers are hidden at times, the images are both familiar and unfamiliar, making people both afraid and curious… At the third compartment of Dau Go cave , the cave suddenly expands. At the end of the cave is a fairy well with clear, flowing fresh water in four seasons. Instinctively we looked up in the dim light, we realized that the surrounding four was the image of the ancient citadel, on which was a melee battle of elephants, horses in battle, people and horses jostling. , swords and spears, all of them seemed to be rushing and suddenly turned to stone.
Why is it called Dau Go cave?According to an old legend, during the resistance war against the Yuan Mongols, Tran Hung Dao prepared many ironwood stakes here to plug into the Bach Dang river bed, creating a resounding naval battle in history. After that, many pieces of wood remained, so the cave was named Dau Go cave . It is also called Gioi Go cave because according to legend, this is the place where Tran Hung Dao hid ironwood stakes to prepare for the battle of Bach Dang against the Nguyen – Mong army.
If Thien Cung cave is sophisticated and modern, Dau Go cave is quiet and majestic. The book Merveille de Monde (wonder of the world) of France, published in 1938 specializing in tourism, introduced the world famous landscapes, called Dau Go cave.Grotte des merveilles (cave of wonders). That is absolutely correct. Dau Go Cave seems to have gathered an ancient architectural complex, unspoiled and quiet beauty with many small stone pillars, stone pillars, stalagmites, soaring as if reaching to the blue sky…
Kim Quy Cave
Kim Quy cave is located on Dam Nam island, with a peak of 187m high. In front is Dam Bac island, behind is Soi Sim island. The cave is 100m long, 5-10m wide, stretching in the north-south direction. A small path leads to the top, where the water flows in four seasons, the stalactites are forming white and soft from the ceiling of the cave.
In the innermost cave compartment, the battle of Bach Dang piles appeared, there were more than 30 ironwood stakes of Tran Hung Dao that were used to plug into the Bach Dang river again, here, the fibers of the ironwood were cracked gray-brown. They look like they’re about to break, but they’re actually very solid. Those are the stalagmites, they are distributed everywhere, densely packed but with clear lines, they are smooth and about 30-40cm high, looking exactly like a real wooden pile.
The cave is associated with the legend of the ancient Golden Turtle. It is said that after the Golden Turtle helped King Le Loi defeat the enemy, the Golden Turtle took back his sword and swam back to the winter pool. It is said that there are many sea monsters here, the Golden Turtle went to the residence of King Thuy Te, asking permission to eradicate the sea monster. But due to too many sea monsters, the power of the Golden Turtle is limited. After trying to eliminate all the species that harass the people, the Golden Turtle swam to this cave and petrified there, resting until now. Visitors to the cave will still see a stone block similar to the image of a sleeping turtle with many wounds on it.
Go to Kim Quy CaveVisitors can combine visiting the cave and exploring the primeval forest on the island near the cave. Traveling to Ha Long, one of the famous tourist destinations of Vietnam, will surely make visitors feel more in love with the beloved Vietnamese lands when coming here.
Luon Cave
Luon Cave in Ha Long Bay is located on Bo Hon Island, 14 km south of Bai Chay. In front of the cave is Con Rua island, on the right is Heaven Gate…. Located at the northeast tip of Bo Hon island, about 1km from Sung Sot cave, in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province.
Luon Cave connects the sea with a circular lake closed by mountains. The cave is only 2.5m to 4m high depending on the tide. To get inside, you have to use a small boat. This is a closed circular mountain arc in the middle of which is a calm blue lake, connected to the sea by a tunnel created by a cave whose bottom is flooded. Luon Cave is nearly 60m long, the roof of the cave is only 2.5m to 4m high depending on the tide.
The arch of the cave is arched with many stalactites hanging down. The lake inside looks like a stadium with rows of stands, beveled and surrounded. On the cliffs there are many ferns, marigolds and orchids. The cruise ships could not enter the cave but only anchored near the door. Visitors who want to enter must get off the small bamboo boats, each carrying about 10 to 15 people. Both going in and out took about 20 minutes. You should bring a lifebuoy. Boat ride into the cave visitors do not have to pay because it is included in the entrance fee. There is a project to build floating houses for tourists to stay overnight here.
Me Cung Cave (Maze Cave)
Me Cung Cave is located at an altitude of 25m on Lom Bo Island, about 2km southwest of Titop Island. From a distance, the cave door looks like a roof deep into the island’s slopes. Me Cung Cave was identified by archaeologists as one of the sites of the Early Ha Long Culture – 10,000 – 7,000 years ago today. The most remaining vestiges found at the entrance of the cave are the shells of Melania – a species of snail that only lives in streams. Maze Cave located in the absolute protection zone of the Heritage – World Wonder of Ha Long Bay, has a very complex structure, including many levels, many compartments and niches spread within the stone roof with a corridor more than 100m long. gradually rising to the west to look down to a small lake like the name of the cave – Me Cung lake. Overall, Me Cung Lake is located between the stone walls, seemingly independent of the sea. According to scientists, Me Cung Lake is an ecological and geological area that is valuable for scientific research. This is also a very vivid scene of the nature of this area.
In addition to stream snails and mountain snails, in Me Cung cave, there are also patches of mussels, mussels, cockles and conifers – which are freshwater mollusks. The lucky thing – according to scientists, is when renovating Me Cung caveThe Ha Long Bay Management Board has collected and still maintains a collection of fossilized or semi-fossilized animal bones. In the future, a thorough study of these animal bones will give us useful answers about the living environment, the objects exploited, the way of eating and even the spiritual concept of the ancient Ha Long people. because the bone details were found in a deep and discreet nook of Me Cung cave – which contains Pleitonian golden soil sediments and it will certainly contribute to clarifying the age of the archeological relic equivalent to period of Hoa Binh and Bac Son culture of Ha Long Bay area.
As one of the attractions on route 2 of Ha Long Bay (including Sung Sot – Me Cung – Hang Luon – Titop – Soi Sim), Me Cung cavehas attracted many tourists to visit, study and learn about history and culture. Going into the cave, visitors seem to be entering the palace of the ancient kings. In addition to caves with historical sediments, on Lom Bo island, there are also old tree species that reflect the clear and calm water of Me Cung Lake. This is also the habitat of birds and mammals such as monkeys, salamanders… Especially, thanks to the attention and protection of officials and staff of the Center for Park and Cave Conservation (Ha Long Bay Management Board) Therefore, the ecosystem of Me Cung Lake is getting better and better. Coral species and sea cucumbers have been restored, creating momentum for many endemic plant and animal species of Ha Long to develop. Maze promises to become an attractive eco-tourism destination in the near future.
Tam Cung Cave
Tam Cung Dong Cave is located in the center of Ha Long Bay, 5 km northeast of Sung Sot Cave . The cave is divided into three compartments, wriggling through each rock crevice. There are many beautiful stalactites in the cave. In all three caves, stalactites create vivid natural shapes such as the fairy with a white beard, the three calm tam das, the white flower buds, then the lion, the seal, the statue. water god… Tam Cung cave is located on May Den island – an island located almost separate from other islands. Hon May Light cliffs stand precariously, lush forests.
In the first compartment, we suddenly stopped and listened to sounds like the sound of a T’rung or a holy stone. Unsurprisingly, visitors suddenly met a “fairy man” leaning on a climbing stick, his white beard fluttering in the wind. And here too, three “three men” are standing silently on the cave wall looking at the scene of the ceiling going up and down.
From the ceiling of the cave, a stalactite resembling a white primrose bud is blooming in the middle of the stalactite flower forest. From the first compartment to the second through a small door, the step is bumpy, this place is like a living natural museum, there are stone lions, seals, water god statues… And in the middle of the second compartment is a fairy stream full of fresh water all year round, on both sides of the cave are stone curtains hanging from the ceiling, everything seems to be shaking.
Coming to the inner compartment, visitors will see a monumental relief on which carved strange but very elaborate shapes, layers in a balanced, harmonious whole, flowers, sticks. beautiful bamboo, natural stone curtains, gentle elephants sleeping…
Trinh Nu Cave (Virgin Cave)
Trinh Nu Cave is located on two wings of a small mountain arc east of Bo Hon island range in Ha Long Bay, more than 3km southeast of Sung Sot cave. Like some caves on Ha Long Bay, Trinh Nu cave is associated with a touching story about love between a man and a woman. Although its ending is painful, the story is also a reason to explain the mysterious natural phenomena – the origin of the caves on Ha Long Bay.
I don’t know since when, folk say that, at that time – a long time ago, on Ha Long Bay, there was a very beautiful fishing woman. The family is poor, her family has to work for the landlord in the area. Seeing her beautiful, the other landlord forced her family to marry her as his concubine. The girl refused because she had a lover who was a poor man who specialized in fishing. That young man is going out to sea to prepare for their wedding day. Unable to force her, the landlord exiled her to a deserted island. The girl was starving and exhausted. On a terrible rainy night, she turned to stone here. The place where the girl petrified is Trinh Nu cave . Right in the heart of the cave, there is a stone statue of a girl, lying with her long hair, eyes looking out to sea, waiting for her lover to return.
That night, knowing that she had an accident, the boy was busy sailing to find her. At night, a storm came and broke the boy’s boat, he washed up on a deserted island. In the flash, he looked into the distance and found his lover beckoning, but his reply was swept away by the wind. The boy who hit the cliff with a rock told her that he had come. He knocked when the blood on his hands was profuse, until he was exhausted and he too turned to stone. The place where the boy petrified is now Trong cave (also known as Son cave), far from Trinh Nu caveabout 700-800m on the opposite side. At the cave entrance, there is still a petrified boy statue facing Trinh Nu cave. The vestiges of the storm that night are still there, it’s the broken rocks scattered in the cave, the wind howling through the cliffs and the waves still blowing white… Years of occupation of the Mines Previously, when mapping, although there were many islands the French named their way, but with Trinh Nu cave, they followed the legend of Ha Long fishermen, named the cave La vierge (translated into Vietnamese). Vietnamese is “A girl’s cave”). This romantic love story has made many tourists curious to once visit Trinh Nu cave, Trong cave, or at least watch the cave when the train passes…
Besides the legend of a love story, the cave VirginIt is also one of the archaeological relics on Ha Long Bay. In 2000, archaeologists discovered in the cave the vestiges of prehistoric inhabitants of Ha Long Culture (about 4,000 years ago) with vestiges such as layers of ash, animal bones, pottery pieces and relics. stone object. In 2010, archaeologists also discovered traces of an ancient ceramic wharf in the area in front of Trinh Nu cave with many pieces of ceramics, crockery (mainly crockery cans), jars, jars of all kinds with many patterns. decorative parallel engraving or wave shape. Fragments of bowls and plates were identified as belonging to the Tran Dynasty (13th-XIV centuries), pieces of blue-glazed pottery from the Le Dynasty (16th-18th centuries), and many pieces of ceramics from Chinese feudal dynasties. Based on the survey results, archaeologists believe that Trinh Nu cave is an ancient ceramic wharf in the ancient Van Don trading port system. even though this is a small and irregular wharf. The current,Trinh Nu cave and Trong cave are part of tourist route No. 2 on Ha Long Bay including Sung Sot cave – Titop (or Soi Sim) – Me Cung cave – Dong Tien lake (or Trong cave or Trinh Nu cave or Bo Nau cave or Bo Nau cave). Stream). Although knowing that the above painful love story is just a legend, tourists still want to hear it every time they have the opportunity to visit these two caves.
Hang Hanh Cave
9 km west of Cam Pha town, 20 km from Bai Chay, Hang Hanh Cave is a beautiful and longest cave compared to existing caves on Ha Long Bay. The cave has a length of 1300 m, running through the Quang Hanh rocky mountain range to the sea.
The small boat leads visitors through each winding rock crevice under the flickering torch light, each cluster of stalactites hanging down from the ceiling of the cave glistens with magical colors, the water flows smoothly, and the space is quiet. only the sound of oars moving the water heard a magical sound. The deeper you go, the more beautiful the cave is, with a wild look. The beams of brilliant stone flowers, the diamond pillars, when we shine the lights on, the massive raspberries, peony bunches, orchids… All are in a position of reaching out and shaking. Somewhere, there was the sound of drums pounding like a festival night in the distance. It is the sound of waves lapping against the cliffs that create, and many more strangely beautiful images.
The French named Hang Hanh cave Le tunnel. The entrance of the cave is very low, so you have to use a small boat to enter the cave. To visit the cave, you can rent a canoe from Doan wharf (in Hon Gai area – Ha Long city) or take a car to Cam Pha town. At Cam Pha pier, you can rent a boat or canoe to visit the cave. Near the entrance of the cave, there are small boats hired to visit the cave and must choose at low tide to reveal the cave. Before entering the cave, you must bring a torch or flashlight. Normally, a small boat in and out of the cave takes about 60-90 minutes. Hang Hanh Cave is first of all for those who love adventure and must be very knowledgeable about the water because if you do not carefully calculate the time at high tide, you will be locked in that deep aquarium.
Right in front of the cave now, on a craggy rock like a tower, there is a small temple called Ba Co Temple. An old legend has it that: Once upon a time, there were three girls who went to the sea, met on a rainy day, and her father went to the cave to take shelter from the rain, seeing that the scenery in the cave was so beautiful, the three of them were absorbed in the scenery, until the tide was high. The girl was trapped inside and left herself in the cave and turned into a water god… Nowadays, fishermen often go to the temple to burn incense and ask her father’s spirit to bless them.
Above are the beautiful caves that you must definitely explore when coming to Ha Long to fully feel the beauty of the world natural heritage.