Hang Sửng Sôt

Hang Sung Sot - Sung Sot Cave - Surprise Cave - Cave of Awe - Stunning Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Ha Long Bay, Halong City, Quảng Ninh. Bo Hon Island, Ha Long Bay. Steep path to the cave lined with trees. (20.8440925, 107.0913811)
Open:
Fee:
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent Coloured Light
Dimension:	L=200 m, W=80 m, Ar= 10,000 m², A=25 m asl.
Guided tours:	L=800 m.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Alisa Cruise, Gate 16B Tuan Chau Port, Halong Bay, Quang Ninh, Tel: +84-966-121-942. E-mail: Paradise Vietnam, Tuan Chau Island, Halong, Quang Ninh, Tel: +84-203-384-2368. E-mail:
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

1901	discovered by a French scientist.

Description

Hang Sửng Sôt (Cave of Surprises, Surprise Cave, Amazing Cave) has three huge chambers, which are visited. The first chamber is called Waiting Room because of its size and form. It is square and has almost perfectly smooth walls, as if it was built by man. The ceiling is approximately 30 m high. The second chamber contains a stalagmite which is regarded as a fertility symbol. The passage to the inner chamber is approximately 3 m wide. The third chamber is known as the Serene Castle. It has a side entrance which is approximately 6 m high. The light reflected from the moving water outside causes the formations inside the chamber to come alive. According to the locals, the awe-stricken reaction of the visitors was the reason, the cave was named Sung Sot (Surprise). However, the name was actually given to the cave by the French scientist who discovered it in 1901. It seems he was surprised to find such a huge cave in such a small island, and so he called it Grotte des Surprises.

For many western tourists, the surprise is located in the second chamber of the tour. A huge stalagmite, lit by pink light, is interpreted as a phallic symbol. One reason is the form, another the ankle of about 45° from the floor. It seems the floor moved and tilted after the formation of the stalagmite. Many Asian countries and religions interpret penis-shaped rocks as fertility symbols.

Sung Sot Cave is probably the most common tourist site in Halong Bay and visited on almost any boat cruise. It is very well developed with stone trails, railings and electric light, unfortunately the light is also quite colourful or annoyingly yellow. There are not many facts published about the cave, instead a bunch of strange rumours that are a combination of mistranslations, misunderstandings and overflowing imagination. The most creative of those freaky legends is that in 2012 the cave was listed by the Czech Association of Travel Agents and Brokers on the top 10 most beautiful caves in the world list. This is a beautiful artwork of disinformation we must respect. The Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents of the Czech Republic (ACCKA) actually exists, but they do not publish such a list, and actually "most beautiful" is not a criteria which makes any sense. It’s actually a marketing stunt, which any show cave management may attribute to their own cave without being sued for it. And the idea, why Czech travel agents should be qualified to rate the beauty of caves, seems extra weird.