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May 14, 2016 / 13:03

Foreign ambassadors embark on the adventure inside Son Doong Cave

From May 11-17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with People`s Committee of the central province of Quang Binh held the journey "Conquering Son Doong cave" for the delegation of foreign ambassadors to Vietnam, an UNESCO representative and US Assistant Secretary of State.

Quang Binh has been known as the "kingdom of caves" with more than 300 large and small caves. The province is home to the world natural heritage site Phong Nha - Ke Bang with its unique system of caves and diversified ecosystem, which has been honoured by the UNESCO for two times. 
 
The delegation was welcomes at the airport.
The delegation was welcomes at the airport.
Son Doong is located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district. Formed between 2 and 5 million years ago, the cave is more than 200m high, 150m wide and approximately 5 to 6.5 km long. 
The locality's tourism sector has developed strongly in the recent years. Quang Binh has become one of the most attractive destinations of both domestic and foreign tourists.
Quang Binh province has been focusing on developing tourism into a key economic sector with the aim becoming a tourist center in the region by 2020.

 
Inside the Son Doong Cave
Inside the Son Doong Cave

From May 11-17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with People's Committee of the central province of Quang Binh organised the journey "Conquering Son Doong Cave, the largest natural cave in the world" for the delegation of foreign ambassadors from Argentina, Sweden, Italy, the UK, Australia and Czech, an UNESCO representative and US Assistant Secretary of State.
The delegation is led by Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau, Director of Department of Cultural Relations and UNESCO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Tien Dung expressed his hopes that after the journey, the participating ambassadors will help promote local tourism and call on foreign investors.
In 2015, Quang Binh received approximately 3 million tourists, and the figure is expected to reach 3.5 million in 2016.
The ambassadors also act as a bridge for the strong cooperation relationship between Vietnam and their nations in the coming time, especially in research, conservation and promotion of natural resource values, the world's natural heritage for sustainable tourism development.
Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Camilla Mellander said she only hears about the cave through the media and really wants to visit it once in her lifetime. 
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Hugh Borrowman said conquering the world’s largest cave will be among the most memorable activities during his tenure in Vietnam.