Our planet is a place of amazing miracles and unusual puzzles. It would seem that man mastered even the most remote corners of the Earth, but did not discover all of its secrets. In addition to the 8 wonders of the world known to everyone , there are a huge number of man-made and natural objects that amaze the imagination and minds of all mankind. Among them is the world's largest cave, a unique formation with its own ecosystem. Let's talk about where it is located, when it was discovered, and what distinguishing features it has.
Shondong: size statistics
Shondong is the largest cave in the world. A similar statement by local residents was supported by facts obtained by a research expedition from England in 2009. According to dry statistics, education has a volume of about 38.5 million cubic meters, a height of about 200 meters, a width of about 150 meters. Having fallen into such an underworld, willy-nilly, any person can be confused by grandeur, dimensions and scope.
Discovery story
The unofficial history of the cave begins in 1991, it was from this period of time that the local population mentioned its presence, before that date no information was provided. At the same time, one should not forget that the underground grotto of enormous size was formed by the water element for at least two million years in a row. Huge stalagmites, as well as other bizarre stone formations, testify to the considerable age of the cave.
How to get to the cave?
Where is the largest cave in the world? Vietnam, Quangbin Province - this is the address you will have to follow to visit it. Not far from the border with Laos, in these places there is a national natural park called Fongnya - Kebang, and this is where a unique natural formation is located. It is quite difficult to find the entrance to the cave, this is due to the fact that it is located in a rather wild area, in the kingdom of mountains and jungle. Perhaps this fact explains the fact that for a long time the underground formation was not discovered and was not investigated even after its discovery in the late 20th century. The descent into the ground is carried out by ropes, which is also quite a serious obstacle and test.
The beauty and features of Shondong
What is famous for the largest cave in the world? Photos of education are striking in their beauty and scale. First of all, most travelers are delighted with the underground river, which flows in the bowels of the earth and in solid rocks of several kilometers. On its shores, the most desperate daredevils even pitch tents, however, to enjoy the silence away from civilization, here also will not work. The splash of water and the howling wind in the bowels of the cave create a frightening atmosphere worthy of any horror movie.
In addition to the river in Shondong, there are also its own green spaces, the jungle, in which the indigenous inhabitants can be present. So, here there are various insects and snakes, a little less often birds and even monkeys. A unique feature of the local ecosystem is the unique underground climate. Usual fogs and clouds are found even underground, which in itself is very unusual and intriguing. In fact, this is explained quite simply, a significant temperature difference between the surface and the dungeon leads to the formation of clouds and other similar phenomena.
You can visit Shondong at any time, with the exception of the rainy season. During this period, the caves are filled with water to a dangerous level, which means that their visit can be extremely dangerous for the life of researchers.
Other applicants for the main title
At different times, the largest cave in the world claimed the title:
- Cueva del Fantasma (due to the significant volume inside the dungeon, two helicopters can land simultaneously, in addition, a rapid waterfall gives the beauty of these places).
- Majlis al-Djinn (located in the state of Oman and rightfully takes the second place, second only to Shaondong in size, its height at individual points is approximately 150 meters).
Unique dungeons of the world
Now that you know the name of the largest cave in the world, you can talk about other unique underground kingdoms that are popular with lovers of extreme relaxation and unity with nature. So, the list of the most interesting formations can include:
- Mexican cave of crystals. Officially discovered in 2000. Its distinctive feature is the presence of colossal selenite crystals, which fill the entire volume of the cave. In addition, in its bowels there is an extremely high air temperature, and being there is rather problematic.
- Waitomo Cave. Located in New Zealand and certainly can be appreciated by romantics from all over the world. On its ceiling, travelers can see real stars, the effect of glowing points is created by the larvae of the fireflies that live on the stacks and arch of the cave.
- Gonchong Cave in China is known primarily for the fact that in its depths an educational institution was equipped, where lessons were held with children.
- The Fingal's Cave in Scotland will appeal to music lovers, its acoustics reign with amazing acoustics, and the vertical natural columns of basalt give it greatness and harmony.
- The reed flute cave in China is greatly ennobled by man. Modern lighting makes the bowels of the underworld truly magical, and even fabulous. The name of the formation is explained by reeds that grow in these places.
- Botovskaya cave is considered the longest in Russia. It is located in an abandoned region in the Irkutsk region and to date has not been fully studied.
- The most uniqueness is the Romanian Movile. Surprisingly, it is an absolutely closed ecosystem, different from the rest of the world. When studying the cave, rare representatives of the world of flora and fauna were found.
Kingdom of ice
The largest ice cave in the world is located in New Zealand and is complexly named Isrisennvellt, its area is approximately 300 square kilometers, which allows it to be an absolute champion in its category in size. Beautiful and cold ice formations are found in Iceland (Vatnaekul is forbidden to visit in the warm season due to the high risks of melting and collapse), in Russia (a grotto in the Mutnovsky volcano), in Austria.
Cave movie
Enthusiasm and inspiration - this is what causes the largest cave in the world in people. Sanctum, a fantastic film about the cave, shot in 2011, tells about the descent into the bowels of an unknown dungeon by a group of researchers. A fierce struggle with a dangerous and unknown element leads to very dire consequences, reminding the audience not only about the beauty of the caves, but also the threat to life that lurks in their unknown.
The largest cave in the world is currently located in Vietnam, however, studies with the aim of knowing our world are carried out regularly and systematically, which means that unique finds will not be long in coming. It is likely that very soon we will get acquainted with new natural phenomena, no less fantastic and beautiful than those that are already known to mankind.