Buzz
Upon hearing news from the locals of Hoang Tri commune, Ba Be district (Bac Kan) about the discovery of a magnificent cave system in Na Slai village, our team of journalists set out to witness it firsthand.
Bac Kan Tourism Explores Tham Phay – The 'Son Doong' of Ba Be
After more than 4 hours of navigating through the cave's depths, we, along with nearly 10 local youths, were truly astonished by the beauty of Tham Phay cave. One could say this is the 'Son Doong of the North'.
Upon learning of our expedition to Ba Be to explore Tham Phay cave, many officials from the Provincial Youth Union and leaders of Bac Kan province eagerly joined us. Departing from Bac Kan City at 5:30 am, we arrived at Hoang Tri commune after a 2-hour journey. Upon reaching the edge of the forest by motorbike from the commune center, the entire group trekked, climbed mountains, and crossed streams for about 2km.
The path into the mountains consists of only one trail, quite perilous, requiring us to traverse through locals' paddy fields, across bamboo bridges, and through dense forests. The cave's location is nestled midway up the mountain. Without the guidance of the commune party secretary and the commune chairman, it would be impossible to locate the cave entrance.
At 8:45 AM, we gathered at the cave entrance, commencing our journey into the depths. Descending about 20 meters from the entrance, the path was slippery due to the ground below and the continuous dripping of water from the cave's ceiling. Just inside the cave entrance were rock formations resembling the jaws of a giant monster, with an underground stream flowing beneath, its depth and flow just right.
From the entrance, the sight of stalactites in various beautiful formations greeted us, while on either side of the cave entrance, the rock walls, distorted by the passage of time, displayed captivating shapes. The cave's vault was high and wide, with increasing numbers of bats clinging to the ceiling as we ventured deeper. Below, the stream flowed crystal clear. These scenes were reminiscent of what we've seen in Son Doong.
The stream within the cave was remarkably deep, with sections shallow enough to see the moss-covered white rock bottom clearly. There were also sections where the water was waist-deep, mainly over sandy bottoms. As we explored, wading through, there were constant expressions of awe and amazement at the magnificent formations of stalactites, with countless vivid shapes.
Venturing over 1 kilometer deeper into the cave, we discovered two branches, one branching deeply into the mountain slope on the left, the other on the right, penetrating deeper into the mountain, with a fairly deep water level. We unanimously chose to proceed along the left branch. As we delved deeper into the cave, the air grew colder and the going tougher, with increasingly bizarre stalactite formations appearing. In many places, water veins resembling small waterfalls cascaded down the cave walls...
After advancing another kilometer, the water flow beneath our feet intensified, and given the forecast of imminent rain before we entered the cave, the cave's interior did not differ much from what we had already experienced outside, so we decided to retreat to guard against sudden floods, especially since no one was familiar with the cave's layout with its numerous twists and turns.
Around noon, as we emerged from the cave entrance, we met Mr. Hoang Van Uyen, a farmer in his sixties, who informed us that he was one of the few who had explored almost the entire cave. He recounted that he entered the cave around 6 PM and emerged the next morning on the other side of the mountain slope, estimating the cave's length to be about 5-6 kilometers.
Survey Planned for Tourism Development
In an exchange with us, Mr. Ha Van Truong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bac Kan province, stated that in early August 2016, his department conducted a preliminary survey of Tham Phay cave, following reports that a tourism company from Hanoi intended to organize adventure tourism activities in the area. According to Mr. Truong, Bac Kan has numerous caves, but currently only permits tourism activities in about 6-7 large caves.
According to Mr. Truong, after submitting a request for opinions, on August 26, the People's Committee of Bac Kan province issued a document agreeing to allow the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to lead a field survey of Tham Phay cave to assess its specific aesthetic, scenic, geological, and topographical values. This assessment will form the basis for proposals regarding the tourism development of Tham Phay cave.
“Fire Cave” with Water Inside
Mr. Hoang Van Quan (of the Tay ethnic group), secretary of the commune party committee of Hoang Tri commune, mentioned that Tham Phay cave is locally known as the 'Fire Cave,' although it is entirely filled with water.
According to Mr. Quan, approximately 1,400 residents in the commune rely on water from Tham Phay cave, hence the importance of protecting and preserving this water source. Therefore, the local residents rarely intrude into the cave.
Source: Youth
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Reference: Travel Handbook Mytour
MytourAugust 30, 2016
