US Assistant Secretary of State: "Son Doong is Vietnam's great treasure"
US Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski shared memorable experiences after his recent expedition to Son Doong Cave.
Recently, 6 ambassadors from the Czech Republic, Argentina, Sweden, England, Italy, Australia, along with US Assistant Secretary of State - Tom Malinowski, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau... made a 5-day, 4-night trip to explore the world's largest cave - Son Doong Cave (Vietnam).
This is an exploration trip that the ambassadors themselves pay for. The trip is both for the ambassadors to realize their “unique” dream and to promote Vietnamese tourism, introducing Son Doong to the world.
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| Son Doong Cave Trip (Photo: US Embassy in Hanoi) |
After the experience, US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski shared his honest thoughts about the journey, which were posted on the website of the US Embassy in Hanoi.
“I just returned from a five-day trek through Vietnam’s majestic Son Doong Cave with the ambassadors of Argentina, Australia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Pham Sanh Chau, Secretary General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, and Miss Vietnam Duong Truong Thien Ly. This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” wrote US Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski.
The cave was 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 for a fantasy story, unlike anything we would ever expect to see in the real world.
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| US Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski rappels down an 80m deep abyss right below the front door of Son Doong Cave - Photo: Thuan Thang |
But Son Doong is not only beautiful – it is also very fragile. Nature spent millions of years sculpting it drop by drop, grain by grain. But humans can damage it instantly if we exploit it improperly. That is why I am very grateful that the Vietnamese people and the authorities of Quang Binh province have preserved Son Doong in its natural state.
The current form of sustainable tourism allows Son Doong Cave to be managed by professionals with a deep respect for the environment and surrounding communities, helping to protect the cave and creating jobs for local people. It is no surprise that tourism to Quang Binh Province began to increase right from the time Son Doong Cave was discovered. People from all over the world are very grateful for Vietnam’s commitment to preserving this natural wonder and will come to visit to see for themselves all that they can discover.”
Concluding his sharing, the US Assistant Secretary of State hoped: "I hope that my children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to admire this great treasure of Vietnam, just like I have seen"./.
According to VOV
