Nam Son Cave - a 250-million-year-old natural wonder in the ancient Muong land.

Nam Son Cave, also known as Ton Cave, is located in the Ngoc Son - Ngo Luong Nature Reserve and is approximately 250 million years old. Situated beneath the canopy of the old-growth forest in Ton hamlet, Van Son commune, Phu Tho province, it is one of the natural wonders well worth exploring.

From the center of Van Son commune to Ton hamlet is about 4km. From there, visitors can walk for about 45 minutes along a trail through the bamboo forest, cliffs, and hills to reach the entrance of Nam Son Cave.

The cave entrance is narrow, about 50cm wide and over 1m high, but once inside, it's a completely different world .

Nam Son Cave is located in Van Son commune ( Phu Tho province ).

The entrance is narrow, but inside Nam Son Cave lies a completely different world, with a vast space. Located at an altitude of nearly 1,000m above sea level, Nam Son Cave is approximately 455m long and divided into three main chambers. The central chamber is the largest, with a clear, emerald-green lake. According to Mr. Dinh Van Phuong from Van Son commune, the cave's caretaker, this lake is up to 7m deep in places and is likened to a "heavenly well" nestled within the ancient limestone massif.

The road to Nam Son Cave is located within the Ngoc Son - Ngo Luong Nature Reserve in Van Son commune, Phu Tho province.

The remaining chambers are notable for their beautifully shaped and colorful stalactite columns. The climate inside the cave is always cool, and the system of stalactites, stalagmites, rock curtains, and columns within the cave is rich in shape and sharp, bearing witness to millions of years of formation and remaining almost completely intact.

Mr. Dinh Van Phuong has been associated with Nam Son Cave for over 20 years. He shared that the cave was discovered by local people a long time ago, when the entrance first began to emerge. However, the thick darkness inside prevented anyone from venturing deeper to explore . It was only when a group of villagers working in the fields ran out of drinking water and had to light torches and shine lights inside to find water that the fascinating beauty of Nam Son Cave was discovered, leaving everyone stunned.

The large, emerald-green lake and the unique beauty of the stalactites have opened up many exploration journeys to Nam Son Cave for scientists , domestic and international tourists who love caves and adventure tourism.

The emerald-green lake in Nam Son Cave, which never dries up, is one of the unexplored mysteries.

Inside Nam Son Cave, the stalactites and stalagmites take on countless diverse shapes, some resembling a flat surface, others like terraced rice fields, and still others suggesting a reclining elephant, a sleeping crane, or a flock of swans... All of these blend together to create a natural "masterpiece," a unique characteristic of Nam Son Cave, contributing to the distinctive value of Van Son commune and the Muong Bi region of Phu Tho province.

According to Mr. Bui Xuan Truong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho province, with its advantages in natural and human tourism resources, Van Son commune has been approved for development into a provincial-level tourist area. This is an important direction for Phu Tho province to invest resources in sustainable tourism development.

Regulations on sustainable tourism development include the principle of harmonious economic, social, and environmental development, conservation of resources and culture, and creating conditions for local communities to participate and manage effectively. Specifically, the 2017 Tourism Law emphasizes that tourism development must simultaneously meet economic, social, and environmental requirements, without compromising the ability to meet future needs.

Phu Tho province hopes to transform Van Son into the "green gem" of the Muong Bi region. This area preserves the original beauty of ancient Muong culture, opening up opportunities for community tourism development and becoming one of the top destinations for tourists visiting Phu Tho and the Northwest mountainous region.

Mr. Bui Van Phuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Son commune, said: Nam Son Cave is located in an area with very pristine terrain, not yet extensively exploited. With clear mineral water flowing through the cave and its original landscape, it possesses great advantages for developing community tourism.

"The commune government is developing a tourism development plan, in which Nam Son Cave is a key highlight, combined with Thung Waterfall, Nui Kien Cave, and the cluster of 11 thousand-year-old ironwood trees in Bo Tram hamlet, creating an ideal chain of destinations for exploratory and experiential tourism. In the coming time, the province will continue to direct the Van Son commune government to invest in and supplement amenities to serve tourists, while focusing on developing community-based tourism models," Mr. Bui Van Phuong shared.

With a geological age of hundreds of millions of years, pristine beauty, and year-round accessibility thanks to its "warm in winter - cool in summer" characteristic, Nam Son Cave is gradually becoming a prominent tourist destination in Phu Tho.

This article was commissioned by the Legal Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/dong-nam-son-ky-quan-thien-nhien-250-trieu-nam-noi-vung-dat-muong-co-20251202155338229.htm