Attending the meeting was Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Huu Hoai, Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committee, representatives of agenciens and localities, permanent reporters and freelances from central press agencies in the province.

Mr. Howard Limbert, a expert from the British Cave Research Association provides some information on exploration results of new caves

At the meeting, Mr. Howard Limbert, a expert from the British Cave Research Association provided some valuable information on exploration results of new caves. Accordingly, the caves were found by a team that comprised 13 members of the British Caving Research Association and experts from the Hanoi University of Natural Science, forest rangers of the Management Board of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and locals from March 05 to April 10, 2016.

As a result, the exploration team discovered 50 new caves at 14 different areas with a total length of 20,127 metres. The new caves are the majority in far-flung and remote areas in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. “The team had to spend eight days in forests with very a harsh weather condition to find the caves,” Mr. Howard Limbert said.

Among the new caves is one that stretches nearly three kilometers and was probably formed around five million years ago under what used to be a lake. Most other caves are between two and three million years old. The water is gone but traces of strong currents are visible on the cave walls.

Howard Limbert from the British Cave Association said the largest cave is Hoa Huong which is named after a local couple’s name who helped to discover it. Hoa Huong measures some 2,876 metres long and is around 5 million years old, the oldest among caves found in Quang Binh so far. Besides, Tien cave 2 measures some 2,519 metres, Bom cave 1,500 metres, Dinh 1 cave 1,430 metres, Ruc Ma Rinh 2 cave 1,360 metres, Cay Sanh cave 850 metres...

In particular, in this exploration, many natural sinkholes have been founded at the caves. Many are more than 100 metres deep and terrrifying even to profession explorers such as Km17 cave is 150 metres, Leo cave 133 metres, Cay Moc cave 129 metres, Bang cave 121 metres, Hoa Huong cave 121 metres, Vuc Chuot cave 111 meters, Lui cave 96 metres and Noi Dong cave 93 metres. Many caves has traces of water currents inside them such as Hoa Huong cave, Khe Rung cave.

Remarkably, the exploration team also discovered many precious and rare animals such kinds of fishes and crustaceans with transparent body. These are valuable information for the science in researching the geology and morphology as well as biodiversity at the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.

Many caves are valuable of landscapes (stalactites, cave ceiling, underground currents, sand-bank, cliffs...) with many great potentials for development of adventurous tourism such as Hoa Huong cave, Bang cave, Cay Sanh cave, Ma Rinh cave, Tu Lu cave...

Hoa Huong cave (Photo: the exploration team)

Reportedly, since 1990, Mr. Howard Libert and experts from the British Cave Research Association has conducted 17 explorations in Quang Binh province, creating a map to 311 caves with a total lengths of over 200 km, including many becoming famous tourist sites such as Phong Nha caves (1990, 1992 amd 1994), Thien Duong cave (2006) and Son Doong cave (2009).

In the coming time, Howard Libert said that his team will continue their explorations in Quang Binh in early 2017.

Chairman of the provincial People's Committee presents flowers to Mr. Howard Limbert, expert from the British Cave Research Association

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman the provincial People's Committee said Quang Binh is considered as a "Kingdom of Caves", the home of magnificent caves; cave tourism is trade name of Quang Binh tourism. The province's tourism has gone from zero 20 years ago to 2.8 million arrivals last year, thanks to the caves, mostly to the successful promotion of caves, especially Son Doong cave.

Besides, Chairman also highly evaluated great contributions of Mr. Howard Limbert, expert from the British Cave Research Association and his collaborators in exploring new caves, contributing to enrich system of caves in the province.

Chairman also hoped that Mr. Howard Limbert and his team will continue to try their utmost to discover more caves to help Quang Binh become a province that has the most caves in the world.

Some photos on new caves:
(Source: Thanh Nien English)

A new cave in Quang Binh Province discovered by British cave researchers and locals. Photo credit: British Caving Research Association for VnExpress

More than 20 kilometers of caves have been explored between March 5 and April 10

Traces of water currents inside Hoa Huong, a cave believed to be five million years old

The entrance into Hoa Huong

Another newly found cave of more than 2.5 kilometers long

The exploration team is going to propose to the provincial government to open some of the new caves to tourists

Explorers drink water stored in trees branches

One of many natural sinkholes found at the caves. Many are more than 100 meters deep and terrifying even to professional explorers

A hole of 130 meters deep in the middle of jungle, as seen from a flycam

A scorpion found inside Hoa Huong Cave

One of the Vietnam War-era bombs the exploration team has run into

By Nhu Y
(Source: Quang Binh Portal)