Thứ Năm, 26 tháng 12, 2013
Phong Nha – Ke Bang has many spectacular cave systems, which were discovered by chance several centuries ago and given many different names. Among countless number of small and big caves in Phong Nha – Ke Bang area, Phong Nha was known earliest and most.
In history, Phong Nha cave, according to Dai Nam marshal, has another name, Thay Tien cave or Nui Thay cave. The mountain that has Phong Nha cave is called Tien Coc. Phong Nha has been explored and investigated by many explorers and scientists. At the end of 19th century, a French priest called L.Cadiere came to Phong Nha cave not only for sightseeing but also for researching and investigating. In a dug-out canoe, Cadiere went into the cave about 600m. There, he discovered an extra passage on the right and remains of an altar and Champa words carved in the cliffs away from main passage 20 m. In December 1899, in the letter sent to Monis Firot – Director of Bac Co Far Eastern School, Mr. Cadiere wrote: “ The remains are valuable for history. Keeping it is useful for science”. After this discovery, with 97 letters carved in the cliffs, the extra passage was named Bi Ky grotto.
Later, another French called L.Pavis came to Phong Nha. After a long time of research, he discovered that on the right of the cave entrance, there was a brick alter of Chiem Thanh’s people re-plastered by An Nam’s people. In the old days, there was a stone statue on the altar, his legs were overlapped, there was a Van word in front, the ox-head turban covered the scarf of the neck. Pavis also found that in the branch of sub-cave, there is track of a brick altar; the brick is 27 cm long, 16 cm wide and 5 cm thick. The bricks are tiled in a cycle with diameter of 4 m.
In July 1924, an English astronomer called Baton explored Phong Nha cave during 14 days and nights. Baton commented that Phong Nha cave was beautiful as a maze not less than Padirac cave in France or cuevas del drac in Spain, the beautiful caves that are well-known in the world. In 1928, Antoni, a teacher of Quoc Hoc School in Hue and several French officials also explored Phong Nha cave. On May 24, 1929, based on guidance map of previous explorers, Charly, Pas Qualaggi and Bouffier (French) explored Phong Nha cave. The explorers prepared carefully for the trip. They prepared fuels, food, torch and a small electric generator. The diary of this explorer team wrote: ” The second day we were in the cave, on the both sides there were several rough stone of strange amazing and naive shapes with all colors of a rainbow, in which stand out light pink of Vatteau’s picture and blue of Raphael’s picture, celandine and pure coloring with dazzling bright red and never fade copper blue, all reflected in the water”.
In spite of not having enough conditions like French explorers, many Vietnamese explorers and scientists at that time paid attention to investigation and announced the results in some means of communication. Thai Van Kiem in his essay in French wrote ” La prememiere merveille du Vietnam: Les goste de Phong Nha ( Phong Nha cave – top ranking wonder of Viet Nam), which won the first prize in Indochinese youth general commission of sports held in 1942. It described Phong Nha cave: “… We entered the cave at 8 a.m. A splendid and legendary scenery appeared. A cold, profoundly respectful and frightened feeling came to us, while my heart was beating rapidly, we had a feeling of being in the center of a church, a train tunnel, or in other words, a gulf …” Geographer Le Ba Thao in “ Vietnamese nature” had an impression “… Phong Nha cave, the really wonderful thing is all shapes is still original. People who visited the cave had deep feeling like taking part in a real expedition when thinking that they are in the earth’s womb below a 800-900m high mountain”. Professor Hoang Thieu Son in “Vietnam’s green mountains and blue waters” contains the paragraph: “nowhere in the country is endowed with beautiful pillar rows like in this Water Kingdom. Two pillar rows occupy themselves vertically in the both sides of the cave.
It can be said that no pillar is similar with another but contains unique characteristics and features, among which the most beautiful things are the pillars with various folds like small segments arranging layer on layer. Moreover, each segment has special form that is expanded on the top part and tapered in the bottom part. Around the pillar are supple folds creating eye-catching view…”
Although Phong Nha is endowed with heavenly beauty, for a long time, very few tourists visited this place. Maybe it is partly because of violent war; therefore, tourists did not have opportunities to reach Phong Nha, or because of inconvenient traffic situation that kept tourists from visiting here. In addition, Phong Nha is not widely promoted and advertised, it is supposed as a hidden treasure in the forest.
Since the beginning of 90 decade of the previous century, the secret of Phong Nha cave and some other caves belonging to Ke Bang limestone massiff was let out to the public by two expeditions of the British Cave Research Association – BCRA. This association is composed of experienced explorers and professional equipments. The exploring team in cooperation with famous geological scientists in Vietnam working for the Geological and Geographical Department of University of Natural Sciences – Hanoi National University such as Professor Nguyen Quang My, Nguyen Hoan, Tran Nghi, Doctor Vu Van Phai, Ta Hoa Phuong, Le Duy Nga… visited to explore Phong Nha and other caves in the region.
The first exploration was carried out from April 28 to May 01,1990: the exploring team rowed a boat into the cave with the length of 1500 m and came across beautiful underwater rocks with many designs on the marble surface. The explorers passed the underwater rocks to investigate further 2000 m. With nearly 4000 m from the cave entrance, the explorers carried out measurement, took a lot of gorgeous photos about Phong Nha cave, especially the photos of the underwater rocks site.
The second exploration was carried out from March 18 to April 18, 1992: This time, an exploring team of 12 members continued the investigation of Phong Nha at deep passages. During 30 days and nights of hardship and efforts the explorers still kept courageous and insisting on investigating the underground river passage hidden in the heart of Truong Son range. The record made by the exploring delegation stated that: “ We were extremely surprised at the magnificent beauty and variety of stalactites. What a wonderful view was! The stalactite pillars were sparkling like the roots of glass old trees falling down from the arch of the forth chambers at the height of 40 m. On the cave arch of the seventh chamber, pink stalactite was reflected twinkling through weak light as an absolutely seductive aerial curtain. At 90 m from the location at which we were standing, we recognized a yellow stone lion made by the nature that was extremely impressive. At that time, the thermometer showed 170C; however, all of us were sweating not because of heat but nervousness. We used specialized devices and equipments to dive through or pass by the edge of risky and high rocks over this river so that we could go deeper inside.” This time, the explorers carried out investigation, drew the maps and measured the total length of 7729 m, among which the highest point was 50 m. Normally, the depth of the cave was 83 m. Also in this survey, explorers surveyed along Road 20 – Quyet Thang (belong to Ho Chi Minh Road System) and explored Vom cave belonging to the upper source of Chay river. Here, they measured that the length of the cave was 13,690 m.
The third exploration was carried out in March of 1994. At that time, the team continued to survey Phong Nha cave and other caves in the surrounding such as Ruc Mon, Ruc Ca Roong, En cave, Dai Cao cave, Thung cave… making the total length of caves in the Ke Bang area to tens of km.
Mr. Howard Limbert – leader of the exploring team at a meeting with the Standing Board of Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee organized in April 1994, said: “ Phong Nha cave is one of well-known caves in Vietnam, and one of the two most beautiful caves in the world. Phong Nha cave is in connection to various caves in the region. We believe that caves in this area may be connected to each other via underground passages; therefore, Phong Nha is the longest cave in the world;(The Report on geomorphologic exploration of Vietnam/ United Kingdom – April, 1994).
Professor, Doctor Nguye Quang My, chairman of Vietnam’s Cave Association – a citizen of Quang Binh province commented:” During nearly 30 years of surveying caves in Karst area throughout the country, it can be said that the Nature is generous to endow Phong Nha with such a statuesque landscape. Stalactite pillar rows glitter with silver light, diamond thrones, light pink stalactite bundles on the underground river that is rarely found in other caves”.
At the fourth exploration was carried out in January 1997, the explorers aimed at doing the exploration of other caves. At that time, the team discovered three more new caves, making the total number of investigated caves to 31 caves with the total length of 100 km in the area. However, the most important thing drawn after this exploration was the comments provided by Vietnamese and British scientists as follows: it was possible that all the caves in the area may be formed by two main underground river systems. Phong Nha cave system had underground river flowing through Khe Ry cave, Thung cave, Cha Ang cave, Phong Nha cave and may connect to many other caves with 44 km long. The Vom Cave system was composed of Ruc Ca Roong cave, Dai Cao cave, Ho cave, Maze cave… and Vom cave. The explorers said that the exploration of cave in Phong Nha – Ke Bang area was interesting. The explorers came across many open-air passages of Underground River in Vom cave system. Moreover, inside the cave, explorers discovered various open holes by chance, through which they could see the sky, or many cave branches leading to stone mountains.
After the exploration carried out in 1994, the British Cave Research Group took many beautiful photos. They introduced Phong Nha on the International Cave Magazine that was distributed widely in the world. Various articles and photo albums about Phong Nha cave were posted or introduced at 14 famous universities in Europe. Since then, Phong Nha – Ke Bang has been well-known as the First Wonder.
The value of Phong Nha – Ke Bang is discovered, announced in various channels by not only the British Cave Research Association but also other international and local organizations and individuals such as members of CNRS (France), researchers of Gunung Mulu (Malaysia), WWF Vietnam, Sidney University, Nottinham University, Australian Geological Association, Experts of Vietnam Conservation and Museum Department, members of Forestry Investigation and Planning Institute, other experts including Nguyen Quoc Dung, Vu Dung, Le Huy Cuong, Truong Quoc Binh, Dang Van Bai… These organizations and individuals made contribution to the investigation, exploration, development and improvement of profile to request for the recognition of the heritage. Especially, as being requested by UNESCO, two experts from IUCN Mr. Elery Hamilton Smith and Hans Friedrich carried out a field trip to assess of Phong Nha – Ke Bang area from January 29 to February 04, 1999. Their comments and assessments were the key basis for the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO to carry out research and recognition of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park as the World Natural Heritage
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