A secret place

In Halong Bay, in the middle of boats and rocks, is a cave between two limestone cliffs called Ho Dong Tien. Its location away from the most touristy places and the special atmosphere that prevails make this place a magical place. This lair is one of the most beautiful of Halong by its structure and rocks atypical that of the caves that are located in the Bay. The bottom of the cavity is higher than the level of the sea, unlike the entrance, which is often submerged by water. Work to provide easier access should be done.

Minerals, rocks

In these places rocks are extremely different in their provenance but also in their age. This intriguing encounter between these two minerals is a mystery to geologists, since some of these rocks have thousands of years of deviation and are not supposed to be in contact, it is a natural phenomenon that has not really known to be explained so far. Very special stalactites are also present in the various rooms that make up the cave. Small tunnels allow communication between the main rooms, they are very low and narrow allowing only one person at a time to circulate.

On the walls of the cavity, we can find limestone lofts which according to scientists were registered during the formation of the place and which would have been subsequently eroded by groundwater flows there are thousands of years of that. As mentioned above, the cave is also filled with dozens of stalactites, which proves that in the basement is the ancient soil of the cave.

The air inside is quite humid and there is little light, you have to orient yourself with the help of lamps. The soil is also slippery by sector, so it is advisable to bring good shoes.

A source of fresh water

A lake is located inside, in a natural circus sheltered from the outside glances. This lake has the particularity to release a certain magic from its isolation but also by the fact that it is made up of fresh water. This place is called Hang ho Dong is the fairy lake in French because of this source of water.

Used repeatedly in history

This cave has long been used as shelter for some people wishing to hide from the rest of the population. The Vietnamese and Chinese pirates used it until the beginning of the 20th century to hide their treasures, and after 1950 the Vietminh occupied it to shelter. This recess regroups all the appropriate conditions to hide in it since we can find:

• Access to spring water
• Shelter to the wind and rain
• The place is not easy to access and little known
• No activity is visible from the outside
• Narrow tunnels make also difficult access

What is it now?

Today the cave is no longer occupied by men but by some animals like crickets or crabs. The access for the tourists is done by kayak or boat, according to the schedules of the day and the tides that follow the access there is more or less easy because the water immerses half of the entrance part of the day.