Mysterious underground river in a cave in Quang Tri

Stalactites and stalagmites fall from the cave ceiling right after the cave entrance - Photo: HOANG TAO

Van Tien Cave is located in Cat village, Huong Son commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province. The cave has been known to the local people for a long time but has not been fully explored or developed for tourism .

A close-up view of the impressive Van Tien cave in Quang Tri.

In 2020, a local resident searching for bat guano accidentally discovered this cave.

The cave is located at the end of Tria village, a 30-minute walk along the stream. From the stream bank, visitors climb the jagged, cat-ear-shaped rock face amidst the old forest for another 20 minutes to reach the cave entrance.

The cave entrance was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through, steep, slippery, and damp. There was a large accumulation of bat droppings right at the entrance.

The cave has many magnificent and mysterious stalactite formations - Photo: HOANG TAO

However, after descending about 20 meters, visitors immediately encounter a large stalactite formation cascading from the cave ceiling. The light gradually fades, the cave becomes pitch black, and the air cools considerably.

Descending to the final point, a cool underground stream flows through the cave. Following the stream for a few hundred meters, the beginning and end points of the stream are two large lakes.

These two lakes offer vast spaces and many magnificent stalactite formations. The water is crystal clear, and fish and shrimp live beneath the surface.

Inside the cave, there is an underground river connecting to two lakes at either end - Photo: HOANG TAO

Mr. Ho Van Kham, a local resident, said he had gone down into the cave many times but had not yet found the source and outlet of the underground water flow. Mr. Kham speculated that the water in the cave drained out through an underground passage into the stream outside.

Currently, the road leading to Tria village (Huong Son commune) is damaged in many places by landslides after the historic floods in October 2020. Therefore, accessing the cave for tourism development is not easy due to the difficult transportation access.

The cave boasts a vast space filled with stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes - Photo: HOANG TAO

Small stalactites are forming from the cave ceiling downwards - Photo: HOANG TAO

Locals say the cave has not been fully explored in detail - Photo: HOANG TAO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/song-ngam-bi-an-trong-hang-dong-o-quang-tri-20240527223316499.htm