Thien Cung cave

Halong Bay is without a doubt one of the most popular tourist sites for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors. Even more amazing is the fact that Halong, in addition to its breathtaking surroundings of a blue-green sea and lovely islands, is home to a number of exquisite tunnels. Without a doubt, it is advisable to explore the Thien Cung cave - one of the best caves to visit in Halong Bay. See our article on the Best Vietnam Tour Packages for more details on this wonderful site.

Why is it called Thien Cung Cave?

Like all the other caves in the area, Thien Cung Cave has a tale explaining how it came to be and how it developed. All the caverns around Ha Long Bay are like this.

The Dragon King long ago helped the people drive away the invaders before retiring to his lair. The villagers appealed to the Dragon King for help when a horrible drought struck one year, preventing the crops from growing and finally drying up. Yet many people died on the way there because the path to the Dragon King's cave was so dangerous.

But, a young couple and their daughter, May, made the decision to look for Dragon King there. When May was a young lady, she was a lovely and endearing young girl, and the Dragon Prince fell in love with her right immediately. Then within the cave, a lavish wedding celebration that lasted seven days and seven nights was planned for them. Dragons were soaring in the sky, young elephants and lions were dancing, enormous pythons were writhing around an old banyan tree, and enormous eagles were spreading their wings while the event was taking place.

According to legend, here is where the Dragon Price's wife gave birth to the couple's 100 kids. The other half of the children broke out to explore other regions of Vietnam, build new roads, and locate new cities with their mother while the other half stayed to protect the Bay.

General information

Thien Cung Cave is located on Dau Go Island, 4 kilometers from Tuan Chau Harbor, southwest of Ha Long Bay (also known as Heavenly Palace Cave). Above the water, it rises 25 meters. Due to its restricted entrance and thick foliage around it, Thien Cung Cave was only discovered very recently. While seeking safety from a strong storm in 1993, a group of fishermen accidentally stumble into this cave. Due to the remarkable stalactites and stalagmites at Thien Cung, which have been there since 1998, the area was quickly established as a tourist destination.

To make it simpler for visitors to approach the cave, the overgrown cave entrance was now cut down and a path was constructed in its stead. A staggering variety of stalactites and stalagmites that were created over millions of years by water seeping through the limestone can be seen throughout the labyrinthine interior of the 10,000 m2 Thien Cung Cave.

The cave has high ceilings and is dry. Tourists enter the cave through a small aperture at the entrance, where they are instantly mesmerized by the stalactites' vivid and stunning beauty. Four enormous pillars that are located in the middle are covered with a variety of unusual objects, such as fish, flowers, leaves, birds, and pictures of people at work. On the east cliff of the cave is a large and huge representation of historical figures from fairy tales with beautiful and clean lines. Its attractiveness is enhanced by the powerful lights that have been positioned thoughtfully throughout the cave to spotlight these items.

How to get to

Due to the location on the bay and quite far from the shore, the best way to visit is to rent a boat or buy a Halong Bay cruise tour. However, you should pay attention to buy tickets, choose the tour that has route 1, which takes about 4 hours. Tourists will visit Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Cho Da Islet (Stone Dog islet), Ba Hang Cave, Dinh Huong Islet (Incense Burner Islet) and Trong Mai Islet (Fighting Cock). Best Vietnam Tour Packages highly recommends you visiting Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave), Dark & Bright Cave, Thien Canh Son Cave on an overnight cruise to experience Halong Bay at its best.

If you're an adventurous visitor who enjoys independent guiding, you must go to Dong Hoi - Quang Binh (taking a bus or train from Ha Noi or fly ticket from other cities). Locals commonly rent bikes for a fair fee to travel to Thien Cung Cave. However for convenience, travelers can book a cab or private car and get straight to the cave from the bus/train station or the airport. If you know how to ride a bike, renting one might provide you a more breathtaking view of the surrounding area.

What to expect

As you move through, you can hear the resounding drums of the Dragon King, heralding his glorious dominion. It doesn't take much imagination to envision how the legends' origins came to be, even though the sound is really created by the way the wind from the bay rushes through the cavern.

You will emerge from the tunnel to a commanding vantage point with a thorough view of the entire bay. After that, you will just need to go a short way to a set of stairs that will take you to your ship. If you still haven't had your fill of cave grottoes, you may visit Dau Go, Sung Sot Cave, and Thien Canh Son Cave. Each cave has distinctive characteristics to offer, including recognized forms and artifacts from its own civilization.

Due to the high number of day cruises that stop near Thien Cung Cave, it is somewhat crowded and touristy. During an overnight voyage, you may explore Sung Sot Cave and Thien Canh Son Cave if you're searching for a more unique experience.