31km-long cave discovered in central Vietnam

A 31 km-long caved called Thien Duong (Heaven) recently found in Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province, has been considered a new record for the country, reported the Saigon Giai Phong daily newspaper on May 24.
After carefully studying data on the cave, Dr. Howard Limbert, from the British Royal Cave Research Association, said on May 23 that it is likely to be the longest dry cave in Asia.
First found in 2005, the ‘Heaven’ cave is within the Phong Nha-Ke Bang park’s conservation area. The cave, 191 metres above sea level, has the most beautiful and spectacular stalactites in the park. Despite the robust geological tectonic process, the whole of the cave’s structure has been preserved intact.
At that time, the explorers only discovered about five kilometres of the cave due to technical factors, then on their return, they discovered the remaining 26km section.
The explorers also came across a number of small creatures in the newly found section, but the species have yet to be classified and their presence in the cave is unusual. The cave is well ventilated and is expected to be an attractive tourist destination in the near future thanks to its beautiful limestone formations.