Tam Cốc-Bích Động, Cave system in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.
Tam Cốc-Bích Động is a cave system following the Ngo Dong River in Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình, Vietnam. The three passages cut deep into the limestone mountains, opening between cultivated plains with rock walls rising on both sides.
The caves were formed over millennia by the river slowly cutting through the limestone. Bích Động, meaning jade grotto, received its temple in the early 15th century when Buddhist monks chose the rock face as a place for meditation.
The boat journey takes travelers through narrow rock passages and submerged rice paddies, with rowers steering using their feet while their hands work the oars. The name Tam Cốc means three caves, referring to the three tunnels visitors pass through in sequence, each opening to daylight after the passage.
The boat ride takes about two hours and departs from a dock near the rice fields, with space for two to three passengers in each sampan. A sun hat and water are helpful, as there is no shade along the route.
The cave ceilings sit so low that all passengers must duck when passing through, with the water casting light patterns on the surrounding rocks. The middle tunnel remains almost completely dark even in daytime, so the oars are guided only by sound and touch.
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