Being the largest and most stunning limestone cave in Halong Bay, Sung Sot Cave has won the hearts of many tourists. Of all the Halong Caves, Sung Sot Cave is the largest, perhaps the most famous and probably the most visited of all.
To get to the cave, tourists must climb 50 stairs, which are only 25 meters above sea level.
Sung Sot Cave is divided into two chambers; the first chamber, called the “Waiting Room”, is monumental, containing stalagmites and stalactites and unique lighting.
The walls of the cave sparkle with multi-colored lights positioned to enhance the structural beauty of the chamber.
To reach the second chamber, visitors must walk through a narrow corridor. The second chamber is known as the “Peaceful Castle” and also looks monumental. The vault has an extremely high ceiling, and beneath it there are unique rock formations in which the locals found shapes resembling animals.
The entire cave is an impressive 12,000 square meters. Sung Sot Cave was allegedly first discovered by the French in 1901, who decided to call it “Grotte des Surprises”, or “Grotto of Surprises”, due to its “surprising” beauty. The cave did not receive its first tourists until 1993, just a year before Halong Bay received its first inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
One eye-catching rock formation is shaped like a horse with a long sword and is associated with the legend of Thanh Giong (God Gióng).
It is said that Thanh Giong protected the inhabitants by defeating aggressors, demons and evil spirits, and when he had completed his task, he ascended to heaven, leaving behind a stone horse and sword to continue to drive away future aggressors.
The cave is believed to be the place from which Thanh Giong flew to the sky. Today, tourists can easily find stalactites that closely resemble a mighty horse and a sword. There are also several small ponds inside the cave, which are believed to be the footprints of Thanh Giong’s horse.
Sung Sot Cave has two chambers. After crossing the path lined with lush trees, tourists see the first, huge stalactites that look like chandeliers suspended at a height of 30 meters in the first chamber, i.e. the “waiting room”.
The first chamber is connected to the second by a passage that is narrow compared to the rest of the rooms. The cave is about 30 meters high and has a 500-meter passage, which is good news for people suffering from claustrophobia.
With a huge freshwater lake, beautiful stalagmites and stalactites, and stunning rock formations, the inner chamber is sure to amaze any visitor. Inside this chamber you can also see even monkeys running around looking for food and fun.
The second chamber can accommodate up to approx. 1,000 people. This is where you can admire the most rock formations.
Among them, in the Sung Sot cave there are those resembling mammoths, elephants, seals, flowers and even a general gathering his troops.