Phong Nha-Ke Bang among Southeast Asia’s most diverse national parks

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam's central province of Quang Binh has been named among the 10 most diverse national parks in Southeast Asia, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP), a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper.

The Hong Kong newspaper said that this 400 million-year-old system of karst mountains and mammoth caves was undiscovered two decades ago. Covering an area of 900 square kilometers, this UNESCO World Heritage spot is probably one of the best-preserved areas in Vietnam.

Although you might love the gibbons and the lush greenery of the world above, it’s the miles of underground labyrinths beneath the limestone mountains that will captivate you. The world’s largest cave, Son Doong, can be found in Phong-Nha. This cave could fit an entire Manhattan city block inside it.

Ang Thong Marine Park in Thailand tops the list, followed by Khao Sok National Park, Komodo National Park in Indonesia, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam, Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia, Kinabalu National Park, etc.

In 2018, the research team under the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park’s management board discovered 44 new caves in the park. Among them, 33 are located in Dan Hoa, Hoa Son, Trung Hoa communes in Minh Hoa district, nine  were found in Son Trach commune in Bo Trach district, and two are in Truong Son and Truong Xuan communes, Quang Ninh district.

They are all the under part of the six geological strata of La Khe, Bac Son, Mu Gia, Cat Dang, Muc Bai and Le Ninh. Among them, the ones in La Khe and Bac Son cover the largest area, the caves are 44 – 602m from the seawater level. All the 44 new caves have many stalactites with different shapes, according to the research team’s survey.

Hanoitimes