Ton Nam Son Cave - "The sleeping princess" of Van Son highland

In the midst of the vast Van Son mountains, known as the “valley of longevity”, lies a masterpiece of nature called Nam Son Cave. With its wild, majestic beauty and unique ecosystem, this cave is likened to a “sleeping princess in the forest”, a paradise waiting to be awakened to become a driving force for economic development, creating sustainable livelihoods for the Muong ethnic people here.

Entrance to Nam Son Cave

In the middle of September, when the weather in the highlands was clear and cool, we began our journey to explore Nam Son Cave, also known by the locals as Ton Cave. From the center of Van Son commune, the small concrete road winds like a soft silk strip, crossing the hillsides and old forests. After nearly 50 minutes of traveling by motorbike, from the Lo market intersection, National Highway 6, over the mountain, we arrived at Ton hamlet, the starting point for the real trekking.

Stalactites create a myriad of shapes in the cave.

Small clear lake in the cave

The nearly hour-long walk to the cave entrance is an unforgettable experience. The small trail winds through bamboo forests rustling in the wind, then climbs precariously over sharp, jagged rocks. The chirping of birds, the babbling of streams in the distance, and the scent of mountain plants and trees blend together to create a mesmerizing natural symphony.

The difficulty and danger of this path only added to the value and excitement of the upcoming exploration. The cave entrance appeared quite modest, only about 1 meter high and less than 90cm wide, which surprised us. But when we squeezed through the narrow opening, a completely different world opened up – a vast, open and magical space that was overwhelming.

The cool air blew against our faces, carrying with it the fresh moisture of the rocks and water. The only sound we could hear was the dripping of water from the ceiling, melodious and steady like a gentle, wordless melody in the still space.

Tourists explore Nam Son cave

Nam Son Cave is about 455m long, divided into three main compartments, each with its own beauty. Wherever the flashlight beam sweeps, a magnificent sculpture of nature appears. Tens of thousands of stone pillars, stalagmites, stalactites, stone curtains... with all shapes, sizes and colors compete to show off their beauty.

Some places resemble a giant jade bed where the ancients rested. Others look like terraced fields, recreating a miniature Muong village. Our imaginations are allowed to soar when we see a rock shaped like a prostrate elephant, a flock of cranes with their legs curled up dreamily, or a flock of pure white swans preening their wings and bathing.

The most special and unique highlight, creating a "one-of-a-kind" advantage of Nam Son Cave compared to other caves in Vietnam, is the clear blue lake located deep inside. The lake surface is as calm as a mirror, the water is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom. In the middle of the lake, a majestic giant stone pillar rises from the water surface, like an ancient tower guarding a sacred place. The existence of the lake not only creates a beautiful landscape but also contributes to maintaining a unique and rich ecosystem inside the cave.

According to scientists , these magical stalactites were formed through a geological tectonic process lasting about 250 million years. The cave is not only a natural heritage but also a place to preserve many valuable historical, cultural and religious artifacts. With such outstanding values, Nam Son Cave was recognized as a National Scenic Monument in 2008.

Journey to the cave to explore and learn about precious plants

Nam Son Cave is so beautiful, so valuable, but this “princess” is still sleeping. The biggest obstacle is the difficulty in accessing it.

Secretary of the Van Son Commune Party Committee Nguyen Duy Tu shared that although many tourists, especially international tourists, have come to explore and left good impressions, exploiting tourism potential to increase income for local people is still a difficult problem.

Van Son commune is not only Dong Ton. This land also possesses a treasure trove of diverse tourism resources, fresh climate at an altitude of nearly 1,000m, unique Muong cultural identity, 11 thousand-year-old heritage nghien trees, famous landscapes such as Trang Waterfall, Thung Waterfall, and especially the unique Bo Lung Van market.

The market is not only a place to buy and sell cattle but also a space to exchange and sell typical agricultural products of the highlands such as bamboo shoots, wild vegetables, Nam Son ancient tangerines, purple garlic, highland products such as mountain snails, fish, shrimp, dried rats... Nam Son Cave and Van Son land are facing a great opportunity.

Peaceful scenery in the Van Son highlands

The commune government is reviewing and developing a project to exploit the potential for sustainable tourism development. In the immediate future, it is calculating investments to renovate the trail leading to the cave, build sturdy stone steps on steep sections, install railings and handrails in dangerous areas. It is proposed to open training classes to train tour guide skills, historical and geological knowledge for local people.

In addition, encourage and support qualified households to develop homestay accommodation models. So that tourists not only come to visit the cave but also stay, eat together, live together and learn about the lifestyle and culture of the Muong people.

Connecting attractions to attract tourists to stay longer by building a cave exploration tour, such as a 2-day-1-night tour that can include trekking to explore Nam Son Cave, visiting the Bo market, checking in at the "raspberry hill", learning about the ancient nghien tree and staying overnight at a Muong people's homestay.

Awakening the "sleeping beauty" not only brings beauty to tourists but more importantly opens a new path, helping people here escape poverty and become rich on their homeland.

Le Chung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/dong-ton-nam-son-nang-cong-chua-ngu-trong-rung-cua-vung-cao-van-son-239574.htm