Cave tourism: Untapped potential

Cong Kien• April 11, 2019 17:09

(Baonghean) - Although not as good as Quang Binh, Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh and Hanoi, from a certain perspective, Nghe An is still a locality with potential to develop cave tourism. Because this place has long limestone mountain ranges, creating majestic landscapes, and has a system of interesting and attractive caves, inviting visitors from near and far to explore.

Hidden beauty

The cave system in Nghe An currently has no complete statistics, distributed throughout the area, from coastal areas to plains, midlands and highlands, many caves have been recognized as historical and cultural relics.

There are caves that are archaeological sites, with traces of ancient Vietnamese people such as Dong Truong (Anh Son), Tham Hoi (Con Cuong); places associated with the story of founding the Muong such as Tao Noi cave (Que Phong); associated with the revolutionary cause and the feat of repelling foreign invaders such as Ru Am cave (Nghia Dan), Hoa Tien cave (Hoang Mai town), Tham Lan, Phi cave (Ky Son).

Or caves associated with legendary stories about the faithful love of couples such as Bua cave (Quy Chau), Tham Nang Man (Con Cuong). And there are caves that have just been discovered by people such as Thung Bung cave, Pha Phang cave, Tham Tong cave (Con Cuong), Tham Tau cave, Bat cave (Tuong Duong)...

Vẻ đẹp lộng lẫy của hang Bua (Quỳ Châu). Ảnh Sách Nguyễn

The magnificent beauty of Bua cave (Quy Chau). Photo by Nguyen Sach

The common feature of the cave system in Nghe An is that most of them have beautiful scenery, many caves can be considered scenic spots. The attraction here is shown in the sparkling beauty of the space inside and the stalactite system with many shapes, sizes, and colors, creating a magical and poetic beauty. Water drops permeate through the rocky mountains for hundreds and thousands of years, falling from the cave ceiling, making the air even cooler, very suitable when coming here on hot summer days.

Not to mention, inside the cave there are many nooks and crannies, allowing visitors to freely explore and conquer.

Some caves have small streams flowing inside, adding to their beauty and attraction, such as Tham Tong (Con Cuong), Ru Am (Nghia Dan), and Mo Cave (Tan Ky).

In particular, Dragon Mountain Cave in Quynh Nghia Commune (Quynh Luu) is connected to the sea, small boats can enter and exit, convenient for exploration. The need for cave tourism is really suitable for those who love the feeling of adventure and like to discover new and interesting things. Coming here, visitors can immerse themselves in nature, feel the beauty of "natural masterpieces" and admire the talent of the creator's hand even more.

Waiting to be "awakened"

Thus, the potential for developing cave tourism in Nghe An is undeniable, but in reality, the cave system here has not been exploited for tourism. Except for some places such as Bua cave associated with the New Year festival, Dragon Mountain cave associated with Quynh beach tourist area, the rest are like "sleeping princesses in the forest" waiting to be "awakened".

Among them, there are many caves quite close to famous tourist attractions such as Tham Hoi, Tham Nang Man, Thung Bung near Pu Mat National Park; Bat Cave near Tuong Duong Sang Le forest; Fire Rocket Cave not far from Quynh beach tourist area but there is still no combination or tour organization to "retain" tourists.

Visiting and exploring caves is currently still mostly spontaneous, meaning small groups (mostly young people) organize their own visits, which is not only unsafe but also risks destroying the natural landscape. In fact, in some places, visitors have broken stalactites to bring back, making the cave walls look shabby.

Du khách thích thú trước những nhũ đá trong hang Dơi (Tương Dương). Ảnh Hồ Phương

Tourists enjoy the stalactites in Bat Cave (Tuong Duong). Photo by Ho Phuong

Caves have not been exploited for tourism development partly because they are often located in quite remote areas, in somewhat dangerous locations, and have difficult transportation. Another part is because localities have not really paid attention or have not recognized the potential of these scenic spots, and may also not have enough resources.

In fact, if only local caves are used as destinations, it will be difficult to attract tourists. Localities should "connect" with regional tourist attractions to exploit them thoroughly to increase the length of stay of visitors, thereby increasing revenue and contributing to promoting the image of the land and people of the homeland.

In addition to the Dragon Mountain Cave and Bua Cave that have been deployed and initially brought about effectiveness, in the near future, Con Cuong will also "connect" the cave system in the area with community tourism spots and Pu Mat National Park. Similarly, Tuong Duong district has also made Doi Cave a tourist attraction next to the Sang Le forest and Khe Co eco-tourism spot; Tien Ky commune (Tan Ky) has also included Mo Cave in the planning of building a community tourism spot in Thai Minh village.

The most special feature of the Hang Bua festival is Hang Bua, which is considered the most beautiful cave in Nghe An. Hang Bua is associated with the folk legends of the Thai people in the area, including the love story of Khun Tinh - one of the heroes in the Thai epic.

It can be said that, along with promotion and investment, the tourism industry and localities need to strengthen the promotion work, inviting tourists to explore and discover the cave system in the area; invest in infrastructure at cave attractions to facilitate tourists. In particular, early construction and formation of tours, routes, and inclusion of caves in the list of attractions, contributing to creating richness and diversity of tourism products, keeping tourists staying longer.

“Currently, Nghe An tourism industry is focusing on developing sea-resort tourism products and eco-community tourism. In the coming time, it will research and develop a plan to exploit the potential of cave tourism to increase the number and length of stay of tourists.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh An - Deputy Director of Department of Tourism

According to Associate Professor Dr. Ta Hoa Phuong - a geological expert: "Caves are essentially hollow cavities of different shapes and sizes formed inside limestone blocks, connected to the surface by one or more doors. Caves are often linked into systems, distributed into many different high and low levels. The height of the levels in the cave often corresponds to the river steps, because their development is related to the erosion cycles of the river system". According to this definition, the limestone mountain ranges in Nghe An have a fairly rich cave system, but in terms of size, they are not as large as the caves being exploited in the above provinces and cities. But in terms of landscape, tectonics and internal beauty, they are not much inferior, still attractive enough to attract adventurous footsteps, those who have the need to explore and discover.