Book guides readers to 'explore' the world's largest cave

The book "Son Doong - Paradise on Earth" by Ha Quoc Anh takes readers into Hang En, over hills and waterfalls to see the majestic cave.

"Son Doong - Paradise on Earth" is the first book about the world's largest cave written and published domestically by a Vietnamese author.

The book is published by Literature Publishing House in hardcover, size 24.5x32 cm, printed in bilingual English - Vietnamese. This is not only a photo book but also a collection of essays, travelogues, recording in detail the experiences and emotions of the Vietnamese author. AuthorHa Quoc Anhjoined a 10-day expedition to Son Doong Cave with a group of foreign tourists in 2015.

Author Ha Quoc Anh (left) spared no time, effort and money to set foot in the majestic Son Doong cave.

The book is divided into two parts. Part one provides a general introduction to the wonder of Son Doong - the world's largest cave and one of the world's scariest destinations, providing perspectives and general geographical information for readers to understand more about a famous place in Quang Binh province. Part two consists of eight chapters, leading readers through many emotions, from excitement, suspense to anxiety, fear, and finally, the whole group "melted" before the beautiful scenery of the cave.

Each of the author’s narratives in the prose section is clearly and vividly illustrated through the photos he took himself. These photos can say a lot of things that words do not have enough space to describe. Ha Quoc Anh’s photos and words blend together as if leading the reader to experience a very difficult and dangerous journey and receive a worthy reward of going underground to explore a proud paradise of Vietnamese nature.

During the trip, some people thought they would have to give up because of the hardship of hours of walking, crossing waterfalls, swinging on ropes, climbing mountains, and groping through mud flats and sinkholes. But Ha Quoc Anh - a young man born in 1980 - still persevered, trying his best to lift each step stuffed in his heavy, water-soaked canvas shoes to walk while taking photos, observing, and recording the emotions of himself and the members of the group. All the footage, photos, and notes he collected were interesting sources of material for him to make the book.

"I want to dedicate this book as a spiritual gift to those who love Vietnamese nature, love the mysterious beauty hidden deep underground," the author born in 1980 shared.

Ha Quoc Anh is one of the few young Vietnamese citizens to directly explore Son Doong.To date, only about 700 people, mostly foreigners, have made trips into the world's largest cave.

Quoc Anh admits that he is an office worker, accustomed to a comfortable working environment in an air-conditioned room with little exercise. Therefore, in order to change himself and overcome his body's inertia, he spared no expense, time, or effort to find an opportunity to join the Son Doong expedition. The expedition is a way for the 8X guy to challenge himself. Before the trip, he threw himself into physical training, losing 6 kg to be more confident.

Many magical and beautiful photos of Son Doong are included in the book.

This photo book and travel notes were exclusively published by Phuong Nam Company with a quantity of 1,500 copies. The company representative said that after the hardcover edition, they wanted to make a paperback edition, ordering Ha Quoc Anh to write more of his travel stories to make the book more complete. The publisher hopes that this work will reach many readers at home and abroad so that more and more people will know more about Son Doong as well as join hands to protect the natural wonder of Vietnam.

Son Doong, located in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, is the largest cave in the world, discovered in 1990. Currently, the Son Doong expedition tour lasts 5 days and 4 nights, with a price of 66 million VND.

At 4:00 p.m. on March 23, Ha Quoc Anh had a meeting and book signing session for Son Doong - Paradise on Earth at the ninth Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair, taking place at Le Van Tam Park, District 1.

According to VNE