The largest cave with trees and monkeys is where and what does it look like?
Son Doong Cave, located in the Vietnamese province of Quang Binh, is recognized as the largest in the world. It is so large that tropical trees grow, and a river flows in it; scientists call it an underground masterpiece. Three world records belong to this mega-sphere, and it has been awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Status. It has existed for millions of years, but the most amazing thing is that scientists could get to it and see it with their own eyes only in 2009.
I went for a walk in the forest
The cave was formed about 2-5 million years ago. In that distant period, before humans lived on Earth, river water flowing through a limestone section buried along the fault eroded it, turning it into a huge underground corridor. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. Parts of the ceilings of this tunnel collapsed, and thus holes were created. Now, it is the vault of the modern giant Son Doing cave (Son do, which translates from Vietnamese as mountain river).
The mega-cave, recognized as the largest on Earth, was discovered by accident. In 1991, a resident, Ho Khan, was walking through the forest when it suddenly started raining. The man began looking for a hiding place when he saw this giant “underground city.”
Interestingly, only 16 years later, when the British Royal Cave Association (BCRA) arrived in Quang Binh, the Vietnamese informed the specialists about his findings and volunteered to accompany them to the cave. However, the man could not remember her exact location. The experts left with nothing, but the persistent Ho Khan continued to search for the cave on his own. Finally, in 2009, he found her and brought two specialists from BCRA to this place.
The scale is shocking
It’s incredible, but the cave is almost nine kilometers long. And its volume is simply staggering: 38.5 million cubic meters. None of the known caves in the world has such a size!
Shandong’s tallest arch reaches 200 meters, and its maximum width is 150 meters. To fully realize how big the cave is, experts suggest imagining that a 40-story building and 15,000 Olympic swimming pools have been placed in a huge cavity.
By the way, the Hang En cave near Son Doing is considered the second largest in the world, but it is about five times smaller than this “record holder.”
The Living World of Shandong
Apart from its gigantic size, Son Doing holds many incredible surprises. Because of its huge area inside, a special and very diverse microclimate has formed, affecting organisms’ distribution and creating a fascinating ecosystem. The cave has several levels of humidity, temperature, and light, each with its own life forms.
The ancient giant tunnel has very rich vegetation. The flora and fauna of the cave are unique. Life here can be found in the most unexpected places. There is even a jungle in the cave with trees several meters high. This became possible because the ceiling collapsed in some parts of the cave, and enough sunlight entered through the holes. By the way, there are endemics among the plants.
Son doong has become a haven for a wide variety of living creatures. There are monkeys, bats, foxes, and other animals, including reptiles.
Stalagmite Forest
Experts pay attention to the stalagmite and stalactite “thickets” because of their aesthetic beauty and informative value. These deposits tell the story of the cave’s formation.
Mineral-rich waters have accumulated here for millions of years, drop by drop. The height of stalagmites and stalactites is how one can judge the antiquity of the underground Son doing tunnel. Some vertical formations are 70-80 meters long, and this is truly awe-inspiring.
Visitors share that staying in Shandong Cave is like diving into a parallel world, the landscapes resembling stills from the movie Avatar.
Worldwide recognition
The New York Times ranked Shandong Cave 52nd among the most attractive tourist destinations in the world, and Business Insider listed it among the 20 most outstanding natural wonders in the world.
However, getting here is not so easy. Due to the cave’s special status, the number of tourists this “underground city” can receive per year is limited. Local authorities and environmentalists ensure that this natural masterpiece, untouched by civilization, remains in its original form, as it was millions of years ago.
Records of the Shandong Cave
On April 30, 2013, the Guinness Book of World Records officially declared Shandong the largest cave in the world. The World Association of Records and the Union of World Record Holders also recognized it as the most extensive cave on Earth.
UNESCO has officially recognized the exceptional geological and ecological value of the Shandong Cave and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park it belongs to, declaring this place a World Heritage Site. There are many incredible places in the world, and it would be naive to think that a person has already explored every corner of our planet. Discoveries continue, and this applies not only to natural wonders.
