Mysterious lake found "hanging" inside Thung Cave in Vietnam
A mysterious lake sitting about 15 m above the underground river system has been discovered in a side passage of Thung Cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, central Vietnam.
The mysterious lake "hanging" inside Thung Cave, part of the cave system in the Thoòng valley, was recently discovered (Photo: L.DŨNG)
On May 10, Lê Lưu Dũng, director of Jungle Boss Co., Ltd. (based in Phong Nha, in the former Bố Trạch district of the former Quảng Bình province, now Quảng Trị province), said the company's survey team had just found a mysterious lake in a side passage of Thung Cave, part of the cave system in the Thoòng valley (hung Thoòng).
Remarkably, the lake lies about 15 m above the cave's main underground river, so it appears to be "hanging" on the cave wall.
Judging by eye, the lake is located about a kilometer from the cave entrance and has a surface area of several hundred square meters. It is surrounded by stalactite and stalagmite columns.
More time and equipment are needed to unravel the mysteries of this strange lake (Photo: L.DŨNG).
However, the survey team has not yet been able to measure the lake's depth because it lacks the diving equipment. The team has also not yet found the water source feeding the mysterious lake.
Because of its unusual position, the survey team has provisionally named it Lơ Lửng Lake ("Hanging Lake").
"We will soon return to Thung Cave with more equipment to unravel the mysteries surrounding this lake," Dũng said.
Hung Thoòng is one of the most pristine places in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng. In the local Phong Nha dialect, "hung" means valley. The Hung Thoòng system, or Thoòng valley, is unique and remarkable, with many caves lying deep within the strictly protected zone of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, surrounded by limestone mountains millions of years old and primary forest. The People's Committee of the then Quảng Bình province (now part of Quảng Trị province) approved trial operation of Hung Thoòng exploration tours from early 2023. |
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