About 50km from Dong Hoi city, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province, is located in a vast limestone area of 200,000 ha with more than 300 caves, underground river systems and rare animals which have been recorded in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world. The karst foundation of Phong Nha-Ke Bang was formed 4 million years ago, according to the documents of scientists. This area has the largest ancient karst system in Southeast Asia. Geomorphology of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park contains many mysteries of nature with many caves like splendid castle in the heart of the limestone formed millions years ago.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang has diversified cave formations such as the dark cave located on the Upper Son River, which is 5.258 metres long, 83 metres high and 736 metres wide; Cha An cave 667 metres long, 15 metres high; Thung cave having an underground river 3351 metres long and Swallow cave 1654 metres long and 78.6 metres high having sand inside which is home to swallows. Khe cave is located to the south of Phong Nha, Khe Thi cave and many arch caves have beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
Next to Phong Nha Cave are Tien Son dry cave and Thien Duong cave with beautiful shaped stalactites. Recently, Son Doong cave is found and considered the world’s largest cave with the biggest space which is 5 kilometres wide and 200 metres high. This cave has many stalactites, underground rivers and so many different tectonics of nature. Scientists showed that this is the typical karts tropical area which was created more than 400 million years ago, associated with tectonic cycles of the earth’s crust. Phong Nha- Ke Bang National Park is the largest limestone connected to the wide karst area of Kham Muon province of Laos and is one of the most ancient tropical karts in the world with prominent geological features.
The World Heritage Committee has acknowledged this is a striking pattern which represents periods of the Earth’s history, contains the data about life, the development process of geological taking place during the formation of the special nature of land (it meets the 1st standard criteria among the 4 criteria of the World Natural Heritage). In addition to the recognised geological, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has many special habitats highly significant to the conservation of biodiversity, this is home to a wide variety of endangered wildlife which should be under conservation. Covering Phong Nha-Ke Bang is the tropical forest with 96 percent coverage of primary forest, with many endangered endemic plants. There are 876 species of plants and animals, 113 species of mammals, 78 species of reptiles and frogs and 72 fish species including 4 endemic species only found in Quang Binh. In addition, this area is home to megamuntiacus vuquangensis and pseudoryx nghetinhensis which are newly discovered species in Vietnam.
Along with the outstanding geology and geomorphology, biodiversity of Phong Nha-Ke Bang also contains many archaeological artifacts, the evidence of human habitation in this area is the first Neolithic ax and some vestiges of Cham ethnic, Cham writing, Buddha statues, and pottery which were found by Vietnamese and French archaeologists in the cave.
Since the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is recognized as the world heritage, the community knows more about Quang Binh and tourism has become the key economic sector contributing to the socio-economic development of the province. On the harsh land of Quang Binh, there are also many famous places with historical places in the period against the American such as the Xuan Son Ferry Station, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Quyet Thang Road, Nguyen Van Troi Ferry Station, Mother Suot Monument by the Nhat Le River, the historic Co Tam cave where eight heroic martyrs of the youth volunteers died and have become immortal epic of the country.
The nature has given incentives to this harsh sunny land many natural heritages filled with deeply humane. On the world map, Quang Binh land is not only the pride of the Vietnamese about the heroic land with the immortal who forgot themselves for the Fatherland, Quang Binh has been known as the famous landmark with unique natural heritage of all humanity.
Thanh Nga
Đăng ký: VietNam News
