When the ambassadors admired Son Doong

The Son Doong expedition has ended, but many foreign ambassadors and diplomats still feel nostalgic when recalling the wonderful experiences at the cave complex of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.

Seven US ambassadors and assistant secretaries of state with their country's flags shouting "Hello Vietnam" from the first sinkhole of Son Doong Cave - Photo: Thuan Thang

The most beautiful place on earth

At the end of the trip, the British ambassador sent a picture of Son Doong to his daughter and received many messages with the same content: "Oh my God, oh my God...". While the Swedish ambassador Camilla Mellander exclaimed: "This is the most beautiful place on earth".

Sharing with Tuoi Tre, Ms. Camilla said she felt very lucky to have the opportunity to see such a beautiful and unique place as Son Doong Cave.

“This place is unlike any other in the world. I have been to many places from the Amazonas in South America to the icebergs of Greenland, the mountains of Nepal and the green grasslands of Mongolia, but I have to say that Son Doong is the most beautiful place on Earth. The experiences there will stay with me for the rest of my life,” said Camilla.

The Swedish Ambassador described the rock columns formed from stalagmites and stalactites, rivers, lakes, depressions, vegetation combined with fauna to create a unique landscape, giving visitors majestic and breathtaking scenes. The vastness of the cave and its beauty are unbelievable.

Previously, while exploring Son Doong Cave, Italian Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni shared with VTV that this Son Doong expedition was her dream come true.

“I remember when I was 10 years old, my father used to tell me very interesting stories and one of these stories was about underground exploration trips,” said Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni.

Meanwhile, via US Ambassador Ted Osius' Facebook page, Mr. Tom Malinowski - US Assistant Secretary of State - said that exploring Son Doong was one of the most memorable experiences of his life.

“The cave is located in a hidden valley that we could only reach after passing through another cave. At every corner of the cave, we encountered images that seemed to be from the school of abstract art or illustrations of a fantasy story, unlike anything we would ever expect to see in the real world,” the US assistant secretary of state described.

Ambassadors sing under magical light in sinkhole 1 in Son Doong Cave - Photo: Thuan Thang

Conservation is more important than making profit

Ambassador Camilla Mellander told Tuoi Tre that she was pleased to know that the Vietnamese Government was preserving this cave in a responsible way.

“I remember when I first read the news about the restriction of people entering the cave, I felt very happy. It showed that the Vietnamese government understood the uniqueness of the cave and its flora and fauna, where seven newly discovered species were found, and needed to be protected,” she said.

According to Ms. Camilla, what is being done shows that Vietnam is a responsible partner. This is a rare heritage, so protecting this heritage is more important than making a profit.

In this respect, she feels that Vietnam and Sweden are very similar, in that both governments pay a lot of attention to environmental issues because both understand that the environment needs to be protected for future generations. This cave is a gem and I think all the people in Vietnam must feel very proud of it.

Meanwhile, the US assistant secretary of state warned that Son Doong is not only beautiful, it is also very vulnerable to destruction. He said that nature spent millions of years carving Son Doong with each drop of water and each grain of sand.

But humans can immediately damage this cave if we exploit it improperly. Therefore, he said he highly appreciated the Vietnamese people and the authorities of Quang Binh province preserving Son Doong Cave in its natural state.

Mr. Tom Malinowski said that the current form of sustainable tourism allows the exploitation of Son Doong Cave to be managed by experts with deep respect for the environment and neighboring communities, helping to protect the cave and create many jobs for local people.

“It is not surprising that tourism to Quang Binh province began to increase right from the time Son Doong Cave was discovered.

People from many parts of the world are very grateful for Vietnam's commitment to preserving this natural beauty and will visit here to see with their own eyes all that they can discover," Mr. Tom Malinowski shared.

At the end of the sharing, the US Assistant Secretary of State expressed his hope: "My children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to admire this great treasure of Vietnam, just like I have seen."

Runner-up Duong Truong Thien Ly and US Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski recorded memories of playing games with the porters of the expedition - Photo: Thuan Thang

According to Tuoi Tre