Discovering the magnificent beauty of Chua Ta cave

lAm gIAng

Discovering the magnificent beauty of Chua Ta cave

Boasting magnificent beauty, Chua Ta cave is an artistic masterpiece of nature and has become a popular destination in Dien Bien province, northwest region of Vietnam.

Located about 40km from the centre of Dien Bien Phu City, Chua Ta cave is located in Na Com Village, He Muong commune, Dien Bien district. The cave was discovered by local people in 2010 and five years later, it was recognised as a national relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and is one of four relic sites in the district.

The cave is called “Chua Ta” because in the past there were many bees around the cave. According to the language of Mong people, “Chua” means mountain

and “Ta” means bee, so “Chua Ta” means “bee mountain”. The cave is also known as Na Com cave, associated with the name of the village where the relic is located.

There are two routes to the cave. The first is from Dien Bien Phu City, go through highway 279 towards Tay Trang Border Gate, through Nai Hai slope to Ka Hau Village, turn left to reach the centre of Na U Commune (Dien Bien district). From here, after riding a motorbike for nearly 10km on the trail, you will come to Na Com Village. Then after walking more than 200m, you will reach the cave entrance. The second choice is to follow the highway 279 to Pom Lot T-junction, turn left along highway 12 to the centre of He Muong Commune and then go

nearly 10km to reach Na Com Village.

These two routes are tough for travelling and some paths can’t be reached by car because the road surface is small winding on many mountain passes and slopes bending along the hillside and mountain. There are also several narrow suspension bridges on the road. However, both routes give visitors the opportunity to admire the majestic and immense natural scenery. The cultural subregions of the Mong people along the way, the beauty of the terraced fields and the traditional activities of the ethnic people also offer interesting experiences.

flowers and fog. The mouth of Chua Ta cave is located under the forest of high trees more than 1,300m above sea level. In front of the cave entrance, there are ancient trees surrounded by interlaced vines, wild

The cave is nearly 600m long, including two main compartments in the S-shape. The widest place in the cave is 25-30m, while the highest point of the cave arch is about 18-20m.

On the cave walls, there are white stalactites like crystalline salt or iridescent yellow stalactites. On the ceiling, stalactites precipitated in the shape of umbrellas, animals, plants and flowers with white, blue, and yellow colours interwoven. There are many long stone ledges. In some places, there is even a "forest" of stalagmites and stalactites of different colours and shapes. At the end of the cave is a small waterfall pouring water from a height of about 6m into a small stream, creating smooth sand strips. With a magnificent beauty hidden with mysteries, Chua Ta cave is a masterpiece of natural art.