A team of international experts has uncovered a slew of new caves in Vietnam, adding to the country’s already impressive subterranean collection.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Quang Binh's provincial government told journalists the 57 new caves were discovered by a joint team of experts from the British Caving Research Association and Vietnam National University, along with forest rangers and local residents, reports Thanh Nien.
The most impressive cave of the bunch, dubbed Hoa Huong – a nod to the husband and wife team who initially identified it – stretches nearly three kilometers and is thought to be 5 million years old while the others date back 2-3 million years.
The British Caving Research Association has been active in Quang Binh since 1990 and has helped map over 311 caves thus far, including the Hollywood-famousSon Doong, the world's largest cave.
Caver Howard Limbert, who is part of the association, told Thanh Nien his team has only surveyed a third of the limestone mountains in the area, some of which may be home to caves even larger than Son Doong.
The caves have been a major boon for local tourism. Nguyen Huu Hoai, chairman of Quang Binh, said that 20 years ago his province was pulling in zero tourists. Last year, a staggering 2.8 million visitors turned up to explore the province's natural wonders.
[Photos via Soha]
