The management board of Pu Luong Nature Reserve announced Sept. 12 that tours and exploration activities at Bat Cave, or Hang Doi, would be suspended until the Pu Luong Commune People’s Committee completes a safety assessment and decides how to proceed.
The move followed a visitor’s report of scattered soil and small rocks inside the cave, raising concerns that larger rock masses could fall from the ceiling.
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Soil and rocks fall inside Bat Cave in Thanh Hoa Province. Photo by Thuy Nguyen |
Pending the inspection, local authorities said they will increase monitoring to prevent unauthorized entry.
They will also urge local residents and tourism businesses not to take visitors into the cave until an official reopening is announced.
Bat Cave is located in a special-use forest managed by the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, which has not developed the site for tourism.
Formed in limestone around 250 million years ago, the cave stretches about 2.5 kilometers and has an entrance more than 10 meters high. It also connects to an underground river system.
The cave is a typical example of karst topography, a landscape formed by water erosion of limestone that is characteristic of the Pu Luong mountain region.
Entrance fees range from VND20,000 to VND50,000 (US$0.76-1.92) per person, while local guides charge VND100,000-200,000 per group.