Some intrepid spelunkers recently released a video chronicling their trek through the awe-inspiring Son Doong Cave, the largest cave in the world, located in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.
The video depicts Hang Son Doong (Mountain River Cave), which was first discovered in 1991 by a Vietnamese local named Ho Khanh. After the initial discovery, which occurred by happenstance, Khanh was unable to find the entrance again for years. He became a bit of a tragic figure, known as the man who “dreamed he found a giant cave," as reported by Smithsonian Magazine. Nearly 20 years later, the British Cave Research Association (BCRA) recruited Khanh to help them locate the mythic cave, which they uncovered again together in 2009.
After this second discovery, Son Doong was explored by the BCRA, and has since become a popular destination for adventurous tourists, who spend several days on expeditions traversing this underground landscape.
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts capitalized on Son Doong's Jurassic-like aesthetic when he chose the area around the cave as a location for his blockbuster hit Kong: Skull Island, which was released earlier this year.
The now-legendary cave, carved out by an underground spring between three and five million years ago, is approximately 9 kilometers long, and at some points 200 meters high with a width of 150 meters. It houses an underground river, and is punctuated by two immense dolines, areas where the roof of the cave has collapsed, allowing sunlight to enter. These features created conditions that have allowed a subterranean ecosystem to thrive.
The video chronicles the visitors' trek leading to the cave, which also takes them through Hang En, the world's third-largest cave. The drone footage provides a unique, bird's-eye perspective of the travelers rambling through Son Doong's underground river and forests, all bathed in natural light peeking through the cave's open ceiling.
Have a look at the beauty of Son Doong through the video below:
[Video via Vimeo user Georgy Tarasov]
