Thạch Động

Useful Information

Location:	Đường lên Thạch Động, Mỹ Dức, Hà Tiên, Kiên Giang. (10.4117699, 104.4756610)
Open:
Fee:	Adults VND 20,000. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent Coloured Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, D=30 min.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Thạch Động, Đường lên Thạch Động, Mỹ Dức, Hà Tiên, Kiên Giang, Tel: +84-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1790	temple built into the cave to worship Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and Shakyamuni Buddha.
1960	shaft in the cave covered for security reasons.
14-MAR-1978	Pol Pot's army invades Vietnam and kills 130 civilians in front of the cave.
1989	karst tower listed as National Monument.

Description

Thạch Động (Thach Dong) or Thạch Động Hà Tiên is associated with the legend of Thach Sanh rescuing the princess, so it attracts many domestic tourists. This is thought to be the cave where the eagle imprisoned Princess Quynh Nga. Like always the cave is located high up on a karst tower, and the entrance offers a great view across the surrounding plain and the sea. It is located at QL80 3 km from the border to Cambodia. Park at the road and walk up Đường lên Thạch Động road. From the end of this road a staircase with 50 steps leads further up to the cave entrance. The cave contains a sort of temple, with a facade closing the cave portal, and many stone statues with strange and unique shapes inside. The temple is called Chùa Tiên Sơn or Chùa Thanh Van. It was built into the cave to worship Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and Shakyamuni Buddha in 1790. Historical documents show that before the pagoda was built, this was the monastery of Taoist monk Huynh Phong Chan Nhan.

Behind the temple the cave starts, which has numerous speleothems and is well developed with trails, railings and electric light. There is also a deep shaft, which the locals thought was the "road to the underworld". Locals carved words into dry coconuts and dropped them into the shaft. Later the coconuts were found at the beaches of Ha Tien and Phu Quoc. In 1960, they filled in the shaft for security reasons, or probably out of fear or superstition. Another shaft leading upwards to the surface was called the "road to heaven". According to legend, this was the place where Thach Sanh was lowered into the cave by the soldiers.

The cave has a second entrance on the other side of the karst tower. It also offers a great view, in the opposite direction.

After General Tran Mac Thien Tich discovered this mysterious cave, he sent his soldiers down to explore the way. The further down the soldiers went, the deeper they felt. They heard the sound of the ocean waves getting louder and louder. When they finally turned around, they still had not reached the end of the cave.

In front of the cave is a sculpure which is called Hatred Stele. Pol Pot's army invaded Vietnam and killed 130 civilians, the monument is to commemorate this event. Later Thach Dong became an outpost protecting the Southwest border, the 207th Infantry was stationed at the foot of the mountain.

The cave is frequently used as a filming location, and so many tourists visit the cave because they have seen the movies. However, the movies are of national fame and the tourists who know them are domestic.