Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte, Volume 43: Karst and Caves of South Vietnam, Part 1 Provinces of Kien Giang, An Giang and Da Nang

About this book

Language: English with multilingual abstract in English, German, French, and Vietnamese

Spectacular karst and large caves are known from central and northern Vietnam, e.g. in the Phong Nha/Ke Bang area (Laumanns 2010b). However, the small caving areas of southern Vietnam, developed not only in carbonate karst but also in volcanic and granite rocks, have not attracted many speleologists up to now. Apart from biospeleological and a few touristic activities (Addis 1970, Deharveng et al. 1995, Price 1995) the rich diversity of caves in south Vietnam (Ha Tien/Hon Chong area in Kien Giang province) was first investigated systematically by a German–British team in 2010, followed by a 2011 lightweight German–British expedition to Kien Giang and Da Nang provinces. This has resulted in the present publication, which describes more than 60 caves with a total of 4318 metres of surveyed underground passages. This publication strives to encourage other speleologists to continue with cave exploration in south Vietnam as this compilation is regarded as being far from complete with regard to the karst and caves of south Vietnam.

Contents

Abstract / Zusammenfassung / Résumé / Tóm t?t     4

1.     Acknowledgements     5
2.     Introduction     8
3.     Karst and caves in Kien Giang province     8
3.1     Introduction, geological and geographical settings, exploration history     8
3.2     Caves of Da Dung mountain     11
3.3     Other caves near Ha Tien     19
3.4     Caves in Kien Luong district     19
3.5     Other caves in Kien Giang province     38
3.6     Recommendations     38
4.     Caves in An Giang province     39
5.     Karst and caves in Da Nang province     39
5.1     Caves in the Marble Mountains south of Da Nang     39
5.1.1     Introduction, geological and geographical settings, exploration history….40     
5.1.2 Cave descriptions     42     
5.1.2.1     Caves in Nui Thuy Son     42
5.1.2.2     Caves in Nui Hoa Son, Kim Son, Tho Son, and Moc Son     47
6.     Biospeleology of southern Vietnam by Helmut Steiner     53
7.     Conclusions     69
8.     References     70

Annex 1:     List of caves explored in 2010 and 2011 in south Vietnam     
Annex 2:     List of limestone mountains in the Ha Tien / Hon Chong area     
Annex 3:     Atlas sheets of Da Dung Mountain (Ha Tien, Kien Giang province) and its caves     
Annex 4:     Atlas sheets of Nui Thuy Son (Water) Mountain (Da Nang) and its caves     
Annex 5:     Cave & karst related photo tables

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