Buzz
With the photo feature Fly through a colossal cave: Son Doong in 360º, National Geographic aims to digitally recreate Son Doong Cave, allowing any reader to virtually explore the world's largest cave in Quang Binh, Vietnam. It's as if they are there, experiencing firsthand the majestic and untouched beauty of Son Doong.
Son Doong in 360º begins with images of the river flowing into Son Doong Cave. On the computer screen, below are the toolbars with functions like zoom, home, sound, hide map...
All photos of Son Doong in 360º are of high resolution, allowing readers to zoom in and explore every detail. Additionally, readers can use the mouse (or touchscreen) to rotate the 360º images. Apart from visuals, readers can also listen to sounds of the forest such as bird chirping, rustling leaves...
The breathtaking beauty
Accompanying the photos capturing the path to Son Doong Cave is a brief introduction to the majestic cave located in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.
The estimated length of the cave system in Phong Nha - Ke Bang stretches over 200km. The entrance to Son Doong Cave is a smooth slippery slope leading into darkness.
Exploring Son Doong Cave without light is an impossible task. When lights are switched on inside Son Doong Cave, readers immediately witness a chamber towering up to 50m with primitive stalactites, formed millions of years ago, breathtakingly beautiful.
But that's just the beginning. In the next image, we can observe a large river flowing forcefully through Son Doong Cave. This waterway has been shaping the cave over hundreds of thousands of years.
During the rainy season, water rises high and it's entirely impassable. The next location features unique stalactites named Dog's Paw, standing over 70m tall. The passage into this area is wide enough for a Boeing 747 to fly through. At the top of Dog's Paw stalactite, one can truly grasp the colossal size of the cave.
Next is the path to Collapse 1 (Doline 1). Above the cave ceiling is a large opening allowing sunlight to penetrate inside. Thanks to this, vegetation can thrive within the cave. This is a unique feature of Son Doong Cave compared to other caves worldwide.
In Collapse 1, there's a lush green hill with a rather peculiar name, 'Beware of Dinosaurs'. According to geological experts, this collapse formed around 500,000 years ago. The cave vegetation here is identical to the forest above, as they are connected through air and water.
Capturing photos while standing on the stalactites at the 'Beware of Dinosaurs' area is perhaps a dream experience for any nature lover or adventurer. The next stretch includes the area between two collapses, showcasing stunning fossilization.
The path from Collapse 1 to Collapse 2 is only a few hundred meters long, entirely devoid of sunlight. Following that is a peculiar space, resembling a limestone phytokarst field that seems to lead towards the light. On the right side is a colossal mineral fossil.
The Cave Forest
What's fascinating is that from the photo capturing the limestone field, we can hear the song 'The Great Circle of Arms' by musician Trinh Cong Son resonating.
Perhaps it's hard to find lyrics more suitable for the majestic, extraordinary beauty of the Central region of Vietnam. Clearly, National Geographic has been very meticulous and skillful in executing this photo feature.
Approaching Collapse 2, we encounter a lush fern carpet. At Collapse 2, due to the collapsed ceiling, a small forest has formed, much larger than the 'Beware of Dinosaurs' area. This forest is dubbed 'Edam Garden' by British explorers.
Next is the lower, darker area of Son Doong Cave. From here, explorers must use high-powered lighting systems to navigate, or else they would be completely engulfed in darkness. In the absence of light, some species of insects have had to adapt. Explorers have observed a new species of termite here.
At the end of Son Doong Cave lies a small lake. Explorers still wonder about the source of the water flowing through the area known as Passchendaele. Does it originate from a larger cave? Whether one has set foot in Son Doong Cave or only admired its majestic beauty through images, everyone surely ponders and eagerly anticipates this question.
At the end of Son Doong Cave, there is also a colossal stalactite wall, about 70m tall, named 'Great Wall of Vietnam' by British explorers. This name derives from the 'Great Wall of China'. And the name 'Great Wall of Vietnam' epitomizes the magnificence akin to the Great Wall of China. Unfortunately, National Geographic's photo feature lacks any images of the 'Great Wall of Vietnam'.
After viewing the magnificent SonDoong360 photo feature by journalist Martin Edstrom on National Geographic, surely anyone who hasn't been there due to health or economic conditions will feel satisfied.
The Son Doong in 360º photo feature is the work of Swedish journalist-photographer Martin Edstrom and his colleagues. Edstrom is the deputy chairman of Reporters Without Borders (RWB) in Sweden.
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