Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is located in the western part of Quang Binh province, in the North Central region of Vietnam, about 50 km from Dong Hoi city.
This area is considered one of the most developed and oldest karst regions in Asia, covering an area of over 123,000 hectares, mostly consisting of limestone formed 400-450 million years ago – during the Ordovician and Silurian periods of the Paleozoic Era.
Thanks to hundreds of millions of years of upheaval in the Earth's crust – from uplift, subsidence, fracturing to erosion and weathering – Phong Nha-Ke Bang has become a "giant natural geological museum," preserving traces of the planet's geological and geomorphological development over many periods.
Scientists have identified many different geological layers in the area, reflecting the complex rotation of sedimentary environments over time.
Initially, it was a shallow sea with coral and shells, followed by tectonic uplift and seabed reclamation, leaving behind limestone masses more than 1,000m thick.
The long-term impact of rainwater, groundwater flow, and tropical climate has created typical karst architecture – including valleys, dolines, underground rivers, and complex interconnected cave systems.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang is considered one of the few areas in the world that preserves all five stages of karst development, from young to old, allowing scientists to study the topographic evolution over millions of years.
The geomorphological landscape of Phong Nha – Ke Bang is diverse and unique, including:
- Plateau karst topography: with limestone mountain ranges interspersed with narrow valleys, averaging 200-1,000m above sea level.
- Underground karst topography: a system of underground rivers and streams flowing through the mountains, forming hundreds of large and small caves.
- Non-karst topography: distributed on the eastern edge, consisting of shale and sandstone hills, where villages and settlements are located.
- The intermingling of ancient limestone and primeval forests creates a majestic geomorphological landscape, both wild and magnificent, forming the "soul" of Phong Nha – Ke Bang.
To date, scientists have surveyed more than 300 caves with a total length of hundreds of kilometers. Some typical caves include:
- Phong Nha Cave: dubbed the "First Wonder of Caves," notable for its underground river system nearly 13,000 meters long and dazzling stalactite formations in various shapes.
- Tien Son Cave: formed at a higher elevation than Phong Nha Cave, it boasts countless sparkling stalactites, likened to an "underground palace."
- Son Doong Cave: discovered in 2009, it is the world's largest natural cave, with a dome over 200 meters high and 150 meters wide, large enough for a 40-story building; inside, it has its own unique ecosystem with a primeval forest and an underground river.
- In addition, there are also En Cave, Toi Cave, Va Cave, Tu Lan Cave, Pygmy Cave, etc., each possessing its own mysterious beauty, creating one of the most diverse cave networks in the world.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang was first recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2003, based on its outstanding geological and geomorphological value.
In 2015, UNESCO expanded the heritage site's recognition, adding criteria for biodiversity and ecology, affirming the unique and global value of this heritage area.
International scientists have assessed:
“Phong Nha – Ke Bang is one of the best examples of a continuously evolving and still highly active tropical karst system.”
Besides its geological value, Phong Nha – Ke Bang is also a vast resource for science, tourism, and education.
Research conducted here contributes to clarifying the Earth's formation process, ancient climate changes, and the adaptation of organisms in the cave environment.
Conservation efforts are emphasized in conjunction with the development of sustainable ecotourism: visitors can explore the caves, take boat trips on the Son River, trek through the primeval forest, or experience local culture while maintaining natural balance.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang is not just a land of rocks and caves, but also a living history book of the planet, recounting the story of hundreds of millions of years of Earth's formation.
This place embodies the majestic, mysterious, and sacred beauty of nature, a source of pride not only for the people of Quang Binh, but for all of Vietnam and humanity.
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