A total of 39 caves have
been newly explored in the national park by a joint team from the British
Caving Research Association, Hanoi Natural Sciences University and the park's
administrators. This represents the group's 16th expedition into the park.
The 39 caves cover a total
length of 17 km and were carefully measured, charted and photographed providing
new and precise figures to the administrators of Phong Nha- Ke Bang National
Park. The three most notable caves were the 1,100 meter by 200 meter cave named
May Dai, the 213 meter high Vuc Moi, and the 1,230 meter wide Lan Dai. A Ky, a 1,260 meter wide
cave east of Road 20, was noted for its unique hydrography – that is, a long
stream running through the cave which begins in neighboring Laos. The Tu,
located west of the Ho Chi Minh Road, is an upright-standing cave stretching
444 meters into the air. The new caves brought the park's total explored cave
space to 200 kilometers.
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park won UNESCO's heritage recognition in 2003 thanks to its 300 different caves and grottos which date back some 400 million years.
Son Doong, one of the most
renowned caves in the park, was discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh, but
did not gain international recognition until the British Cave Research
Association explored it in 2009 with Khanh’s help. The 150-meter high,
200-meter wide cave was opened to
tourists last year.
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