Additional 44 caves have been discovered in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh, raising the total caves found so far in this area to 405, according to the park’s management board.
Inside a cave in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Source: VNA)
Of those, 33 are located in Dan Hoa, Hoa Son, Trung Hoa and
Thuong Hoa communes in Minh Hoa district, nine are in Son Trach commune, Bo
Trach district and the remaining in Truong Son and Truong Xuan communes, Quang
Ninh district.
As part of the six geological strata of La Khe, Bac Son, Mu Gia, Cat Dang, Muc
Bai and Le Ninh, mostly in La Khe and Bac Son that cover the largest area, the
caves are 44-602m from the seawater level.
Stalactites of different shapes have also been recorded there.
Vo Van Tri, head of the park’s Science and International Cooperation Office,
said it is necessary to conduct an in-depth study to better understand values
of newly-found caves, contributing to their sustainable preservation and
exploitation.
Dubbed the "Kingdom of Caves”, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park was declared a
World Natural Heritage by UNESCO twice in July 2003 and July 2015 thanks to its
impressive scenery and archeological value.
It is also home to Son Doong cave, which was recognised in 2016 as the largest
of its kind by three international organisations, including the UK-based
Guinness World Records, Hong Kong-based World Record Association, and the US
and India-based World Kings.
As of mid-July, tourist arrivals in Quang Binh reached nearly 1.9 million, up
about 17 percent year-on-year, bringing an estimated revenue of 2 trillion VND
(88.8 million USD), marking a year-on-year increase of 15 percent.
In 2018, Quang Binh strives to greet 3.5 million tourists by the end of the
year, including 120,000 foreigners.
Source: VNA
In the first 9 months of 2024, Hoa Binh province continues to implement the expanded tourism development cooperation program plan of 8 Northwest provinces with Ho Chi Minh City; deploying digital transformation content in tourism and developing a smart tourism province. Hoa Binh province received about 3.6 million views, an increase of 7.9% over the same period. In which, international visitors are about 380 visitors, domestic visitors are estimated at 3 million 220 visitors.
Spanning thousands of hectares and winding gracefully along mountain slopes, hillsides, and riverbanks, the terraced rice fields of Lac Son District present a stunning and captivating beauty. This region, renowned for its remarkable terraced landscapes, is also the centre of Hoa Binh Culture known for numerous archaeological sites.
The life of Mong people in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes of Mai Chau district has improved much thanks to tourism development.
The man-made Hoa Binh Lake, with a water surface area of approximately 9,000 hectares and a capacity of 9.45 billion cubic meters, stretches over 200 kilometers from Hoa Binh to Son La provinces. With the goal of developing into a national tourism area, the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area is expected to not only become the largest tourism centre in the province but also one of the 12 key tourist destinations in the northern midland and mountainous region of Vietnam.
Da Bia hamlet, now Duc Phong, in Tien Phong commune, Da Bac district, was once almost isolated from the outside as the only way to the hamlet was to get a boat ride across the Hoa Binh reservoir. However, as its tourism potential has been unleashed, the hamlet has established itself as one of the most attractive destinations on the tourism map. It has even received the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Awards in 2019.
In the first 9 months of 2024, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province welcomed over 684 thousand visitors to visit and relax. In which, over 516 thousand domestic visitors and more than 168 thousand international visitors. Total revenue from tourism is estimated at over 821 billion VND.