The beautiful stalactite block like silk in Son Nu cave was "accidentally"... violated

Hang Son Nu is a newly discovered cave that has caused a stir in Quang Binh - because of the pristine, sparkling and magical beauty inside this cave, attracting the attention of many people. Among them are exploration experts from the British Royal Cave Association.

However, when some images inside Son Nu cave were just released, the survey and exploration team of the cave had some "unbecoming" actions when climbing on the stalactites to check in, take pictures and freely walk on them, attracting public attention and raising 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.

Seeing some people standing on stalactites, Mr. Howard Limbert assessed that standing on stalactites and stalagmites can cause damage. Even touching them with your hands, the sweat on your hands can also affect the stalactites.

This action "accidentally" damaged the stalactites that were formed millions of years ago.

"The process of forming stalactites takes millions of years, an inappropriate action can destroy the natural creation. To preserve the beauty of the caves, they must be strictly controlled. The caves that are serving tourism in Quang Binh, the exploitation unit does not allow anyone to touch the stalactites or stand on the stalagmites" - Mr. Howard Limbert advised.

Experts from the British Royal Cave Association also hope that relevant units need to conduct accurate surveys and check the elements in the cave to see if there is a possibility of tourism exploitation. Along with that, timely measures should be taken to protect the stalactite system.

As reported by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Quang Binh Province recently announced the discovery of another pristine cave, never seen by human footprints. This cave is located in Diu Do village in the middle of the Truong Son mountain range, in Truong Son commune, Quang Ninh district.

The cave is more than 1.5km long, the highest point of the cave is about 30m, the locals temporarily call it Son Nu cave. Inside the cave, white stalactites flow down, spreading out like a giant, soft, sparkling white silk.

The beauty inside Son Nu cave

According to Mr. Hoang Trong Duc, Chairman of Truong Son Commune People's Committee, Son Nu Cave was discovered by local people before but they have not gone deep inside. The commune has set up a team to conduct a survey and report to superiors with the hope that the locality can exploit it for tourism.

Mr. Duc admitted that due to lack of experience, it was the first time conducting a survey in Son Nu cave that some people walked and sat on the stalactites to observe and take pictures, and this accidentally "damaged" the stalactites without the group realizing the seriousness of it.

After the trip, the People's Committee of Truong Son commune held a meeting to review experiences and issued a document strictly prohibiting people from entering Son Nu cave, to avoid affecting the stalactites in this cave.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/du-lich-xanh/khoi-thach-nhu-dep-nhu-tam-lua-trong-hang-son-nu-vo-tinh-bi-xam-hai-20230914105445051.htm