Trang chủ
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park – source: phongnhakebang.vn
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park was established in 2001, formerly known as Phong Nha Nature Reserve.
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park is located in the North of Truong Son mountain range (coordinates from 17°21′ to 17°39′ north latitude and from 105°57′ to 106°24′ east longitude), in the territory of Tan Trach, Thuong Trach, Phuc Trach, Xuan Trach and Son Trach communes of Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province. It was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage according to geological and geomorphological criteria in 2003, and was recognized by UNESCO for the second time as a World Natural Heritage with biodiversity and ecological criteria on July 3, 2015, and is a rich destination in Quang Binh tour programs.
Phong Nha Ke Bang is a fresh, cool climate area all year round with an average temperature of only 20 – 240C. It is considered one of the two largest limestone mountain areas in the world, with an area of over 200,000 hectares (of which the core area is 85,754 hectares and a buffer zone of 195,400 hectares). The characteristic of this national park is the karst limestone formations that are millions of years old with more than 300 caves and underground river systems. Hundreds of rare species of animals and plants exist, many of which are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world, which is a source of inspiration for tourists and scientists to explore here.
Geology, geomorphology
Phong Nha – Ke Bang is considered a giant geological museum of global value and significance due to its complex geographical structure, gathering many different types of rocks such as sandstone, quartz, schist, siliceous limestone, marl, granodiorite, diorite, aplite, pegmatite, etc.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang also contains a complex, long history of geological development from 400 million years ago. Through important tectonic stages and faulting, platforming, and folding movements, it has created overlapping mountain ranges and subsided sedimentary basins. These changes have also contributed to the diversity of geology, topography, and geomorphology.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang limestone area has global characteristics in many stages of development from Palaeozoic (about 400 million years ago) to the late paleozoic period of Carboniferous and Permian (340 – 240 million years ago). A unique feature here is the underground river system and caves in the limestone mountains.
The non-karst landforms are generally characterized by low mountains with vegetation covering the surface. Erosion creates terraces along the valleys of the Son and Chay rivers or on the banks of the limestone mountains in the central region. The transitional terrain is different types of interspersed between the limestone mountains.
Cave system
Besides its historical, geological, topographical and geomorphological value, Phong Nha – Ke Bang is also blessed with mysterious and majestic landscapes. Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park contains many natural mysteries, caves like magnificent castles in the limestone mountains created millions of years ago.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang area has a complex of more than 300 large and small caves, rich and majestic, known as the “Kingdom of Caves”, a place with many strange and attractive things, a paradise for cave scientists, explorers and tourists.
Up to now, 20 caves with a total length of over 70 km have been systematically and thoroughly surveyed by the British Royal Survey Team in collaboration with the Department of Geography of Hanoi National University and have been published in the Panorama and Public Opinion Magazine – No. 48, July 1994, and are considered one of the most beautiful landscapes with the following characteristics: the most beautiful underground river, the highest and widest cave entrance, the most beautiful sandbanks and reefs, the most beautiful underground lake, the widest and most beautiful dry cave, the most magical and magnificent stalactite system, and the longest water cave.
These caves can be divided into three main systems: Phong Nha cave system, Vom cave system and Ruc Mon cave system.
Phong Nha cave system has a total length of over 45km originating from the south of Ke Bang limestone mountain range. The main entrance of this cave system is Khe Ry cave and Hang En cave located at an altitude of about 300m above sea level, finally Phong Nha cave with a total length of nearly 45km. The caves in this system are distributed in the form of tree branches running in the northeast – southwest direction.
The Vom cave system has a total length of over 30km, originating from Ruc Ca Roong cave, located at an altitude of 360m above sea level and ending at Vom cave. The Vom cave system is located on an axis with a general direction of south – north. The Ruc Ca Roong river sometimes hides in the rocky mountains, sometimes appears in narrow and deep valleys, and finally flows into the Chay river at the entrance of Vom cave. Including:
Ruc Mon cave system located in Minh Hoa district is also one of the large caves but has not been exploited much. Ruc Mon cave is 2863m long, has a dome depth of 49m, has an underground river flowing through the cave, many stalactites are considered very beautiful and wild.
River systems and mountain peaks
Along with the magical cave system, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park also has a rather complex river system in the area and the longest underground rivers. There are 3 main rivers: Trooc River, Chay River, Son River in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang area with clear blue water flowing between the rocky mountains with forests, creating a poetic landscape like a watercolor painting that attracts tourists.
Besides, Phong Nha – Ke Bang area also has dozens of beautiful streams and waterfalls such as: Gio Waterfall, Me Loan Waterfall, Mooc Stream gushing from the foot of a limestone mountain range, Tra Ang Stream…
Phong Nha Ke Bang also has dozens of mountain peaks over 1,000 meters high, rugged, untouched by humans, which are attractive spots for mountain climbing and exploration. Typical peaks are Co Rilata at 1,128 meters high, Co Preu at 1,213 meters high. Interspersed between the peaks over 1,000 meters are valleys suitable for ecotourism.
Biodiversity
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park still has a primary tropical forest that is little affected and has high biodiversity. Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park has 15 large habitat types with 10 important vegetation types. Evergreen closed forest covers 93.57% of the area, of which 83.74% of the area of the National Park is a typical tropical forest ecosystem on limestone mountains, which is rare and mostly unaffected.
According to initial survey data, in this area there are many endemic plant species of limestone forests such as Chò đại, Chò nước, Trầm hương, Nghiến, Sàng, Ba kích and Sao… Phong Nha – Ke Bang recorded the presence of 2,951 plant species belonging to 1,006 genera, 198 families, 62 orders, 11 classes, 6 branches. Of which, 112 species are listed in the Vietnam Red Book, 39 species are listed in Decree 32-2006/ND-CP, 121 species are listed in the IUCN Red Book, 01 species is listed in CITES appendices. The diversity of flora in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park includes diversity in species composition, genetic resources and plant resources. Recently, scientists have discovered many rare and endangered plant species in the wild such as the Rock Cypress, Spotted Slipper Orchid, Green Slipper Orchid, Twisted Slipper Orchid and many other rare plants have also been recorded.
Animals of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park – source: phongnhaexplorer.com
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park is also home to 1,394 animal species belonging to 835 genera, 289 families, 66 orders, 12 classes, 4 phyla. Of these, 110 species are listed in the IUCN Red Book, 83 species are listed in the Vietnam Red Book. The diversity of fauna in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park includes both vertebrates (shown in diverse groups of mammals, birds, amphibians – reptiles, fish) and invertebrates (arthropods, flatworms, mollusks).
In the past 20 years, 38 new species for science have been recorded and published worldwide, including 02 bird species, 03 frog species, 18 reptile species, 06 spider species, 09 fish species. In 1996, a new fish species was discovered in Vietnam, especially in 2012, scientists recorded a specimen of Truong Son Rock Rat (Laonastes aenigmamus) belonging to the genus Laonestes in the expanded area of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park – this is the only living representative of the ancient mammal family (Diatomyidae) considered extinct 11 million years ago. This is a newly discovered species in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and a new species added to the list of Vietnamese mammals. The discovery of the Truong Son Rock Rat is one of the important records of biodiversity of the National Park and the world, confirming that this group of animals lives not only in Laos but also in Vietnam.
The limestone forest is home to the most primate species in Vietnam, with 10 recorded species, accounting for about 50% of the total number of primate species in Vietnam. Seven primate species are listed in the Vietnam Red Book, including seven species in the Vietnam Red Book, especially the Ha Tinh langur, Saola, and mang. Compared to other conservation areas and national parks in Vietnam, the richness of animal species in Phong Nha-Ke Bang is quite high. Rare species, especially primates, have the highest number in the country. Therefore, this place is considered to have the most diverse natural system among all national parks and national biosphere reserves in the world.
Especially in the caves of Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, there are strange animals, many animals live inside the cave without light such as fish, shrimp, eyeless scorpions…
In addition to the vegetation and wildlife habitat, Phong Nha-Ke Bang is also the place where a system of valuable historical and cultural relics for many eras once existed and is present, such as prehistoric archaeological relics, Champa and ancient Vietnamese culture, and relics of King Ham Nghi’s anti-French resistance base in the late 19th century at Ma Rai mountain.
Famous landmarks on the Ho Chi Minh trail such as Xuan Son ferry, Nguyen Van Troi ferry, Ngam Tra Ang, Hang Tam Co, Hang Y Ta on Highway 20 Quyet Thang have become legendary and associated with the glorious feats and noble sacrifices of the Vietnamese people in the war for independence and national reunification.
Source: Department of Natural Resources and Environment