Động Hoa Cương

Useful Information

Location:	Đường xuyên đảo Cát Bà, Gia Luận, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng. At the northern end of Cát Bà island, on Đường Hùng Sơn (Hung Son Road) in the village Gia Luận. (20.8382771, 106.9842347)
Open:	All year daily. [2025]
Fee:	Adults VND 60,000. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent Coloured Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Động Hoa Cương, Đường xuyên đảo Cát Bà, Gia Luận, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, 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

Description

Động Hoa Cương (Flower Diamond Cave) is located above the small village Gia Luận in the middle of the northern coast of the island. The road through the village ends shortly after at Gia Luan harbor, the ferry to Đảo Tuần Châu Island. In the village there is a small hut, a ticket office, where you can purchase the entrance ticket. The cave is not very well visited, so there are mostly children waiting for customers. The fee is, at least for westerners, nominal. After paying the child will run and retrieve the keys and turn on the electric light.

At road level a long staircase leading uphill to the cave entrance starts. The cave is rather small a 10 m high and 100 m long passage, the visitors walk to the end of the passage and then return the same way. The trails are well-prepared and there is a sufficient electric light. It seems the booth is not manned during low season, but the cave is open, so you can visit the cave if you bring your own light.

According to local lore the cave was frequented by the King, because the air was cool inside. He was accompanied by his children the princesses and princes. In front of the princess’s palace there are two lions as guardians, inside, the princess is lulling her baby to sleep.

Actually the guides tell numerous such stories to explain the names of the speleothems. We guess they are all invented, and not actual legends. The speleothems all have weird names, like the two Buddhas, the prince’s stalactite boat, and the aquarium. Weird are stories about a tooth of an ape, which was found in the cave as well as the famous "diamond stalactites". We are not sure what this means, most likely it’s the reflection of light by calcite crystals, which is actually quite common. The name Hoa Cương ist generally translated diamond or flower diamond, whatever that means, but it is also translated marble or granite. We have mo idea which one is correct, as we do not speak Vietnamese.