New move after stalactite encroachment in Son Nu cave

On September 21, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh district ( Quang Binh ) said it was coordinating with relevant departments and branches to prevent people from entering the cave, climbing and trampling on the beautiful stalactites inside Son Nu cave as reported by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper .

Động thái mới sau vụ thạch nhũ ở hang Sơn Nữ bị xâm hại - Ảnh 1.

Son Nu Cave has stalactites as beautiful as silk in Quang Binh

Recently, some images inside Son Nu cave were released showing some people doing "unsightly" things, such as climbing on stalactites to check in, take pictures and walk around freely on them. These photos have attracted public attention and raised concerns from experts.

Mr. Howard Limbert - Head of the British Royal Cave Association's Expedition - said that stalactites and stalagmites in caves are very fragile entities. Stalactites are masterpieces formed from rock and water over a very long time, possibly hundreds of millions of years.

Mr. Howard Limbert said it is estimated that stalactites grow 1cm every 10,000 years. In Vietnam, this process may be a little faster due to the tropical climate. However, stalactites and stalagmites take a very long time to form.

Động thái mới sau vụ thạch nhũ ở hang Sơn Nữ bị xâm hại - Ảnh 2.

Some cave explorers stepped on stalactites to take pictures.

Seeing some people standing and trampling on the stalactites, Mr. Howard Limbert warned that this is an act of encroachment, unintentionally destroying a masterpiece of nature that many people do not know about. Even touching the stalactites with your hands can affect the stalactites.

People rowing boats and walking freely in the cave will also cause a lot of damage to the stalactites and the cave's ecological environment.

Relevant agencies and localities have not yet made any assessment, nor have they conducted specific surveys to make recommendations on protecting the cave and ensuring safety when entering the cave.

Mr. Pham Trung Dong - Chairman of Quang Ninh District People's Committee - said that the cave has great geological and geomorphological value and tourism potential, so the district quickly directed Truong Son commune to strictly prohibit people and tourists from climbing, stepping on stalactites, and rowing boats in the cave.

As reported by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Son Nu Cave was recently discovered by local people in Diu Do village, Truong Son commune, Quang Ninh district. The cave is about 1.8km long, about 50m wide at its widest point, 35m high on average, and water flows throughout the cave due to the flow of underground rivers and streams from the Vietnam - Laos border. The cave has many beautiful stalactites and many strange shapes.

The stalactites here are curtain-like, many of which hang down like draped curtains. On these curtain stalactites, there are many bright grains of sand deposited during the formation process, so every time the light shines on them, they give off a very magical sparkle.

Because the road to the cave is quite convenient, following Ho Chi Minh road (West branch) to the center of Truong Son commune, then walking 1.5km to Diu Do village, then walking about 1 hour over rocky mountains to reach the cave, Truong Son commune has reported to the district and province, requesting to put this cave into tourism exploitation in 2024.

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