Tien Ong Cave

Sitting about 5-7km from Cat Ba island (Hai Phong) to the East, Tien Ong Cave boats a system of thousand years old stalagmites and stalactites and a cradle of ancient Vietnamese people.

This cave is also known as Grotle du Vieau by the French, covers an area of almost 1,000 m2 on Cai Tai Island. Including two chambers which is separated into by a tall rustic stone pillar, Tien Ong cave shows up with its pristine beauty. If most of the caves in Halong Bay have a narrow entrance and large interior, Tien Ong Cave is an exception with a 50m wide, 14m high and short entrance that leads to a massive area inside (around 1,000 square meters).

Tien Ong Cave

Go inside this cave, visitors can admire the stalactites down from the ceiling and stalagmites up from the ground divide the cave into two compartments. In that, there is a block of stalactites, which looks like an old man with a gentle face, long hair, and beard. And this image resemblances a miraculous “fairy godfather” by the local people. The name “Tien Ong” starts from there.

In addition to the purely natural beauty, the cave has also remnants of prehistoric life such as shells of freshwater snails, mountain snails or rough stone and bone tools. According to many archaeologists, ancient residents found shelter in the cave as it faces to the southeastern direction and helps avoid cold wind thanks to its stalactites inside this cave. So, tourists can both visit the cave, enjoy its pristine charm and at the same time learn about history, culture and geological tectonics.

Tien Ong Cave

Because Tien Ong Cave is not yet as popular as other attractions and not every cruise in Halong Bay includes it in their cruising itinerary, you can book an overnight cruise (2 Day 1 Night or 3 Days 2 Nights) from Jassmine Cruise, Glory Legend Cruise,.. if you wish to visit this cave. In particular, Tien Ong cave is airy and cool in summer and can avoid cold wind in winter. So, you can visit it at any time of the year.