THE GEOHERITAGE VALUES OF BAN BU CAVES SYSTEM, NGOC LAC, THANH HOA IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Sustainable tourism development, including geotourism, is the focal point in many localities' socio-economic development strategies. Thanh Hoa, the site of important historical events in the nation, is also endowed by nature with outstanding topography, landscapes, and ecosystems, making it well-suited for tourism development. Ban Bu cave complex, located in Ngoc Lac town, is not only a historical relic of the resistance war against the Ming invaders but also a diverse stalactite system with fanciful beauty, yet it has not been properly researched. This report presents the results of research and classification of the stalactite system in the Ban Bu cave complex to highlight their geoheritage value, thereby contributing to the popularization and the promotion of sustainable tourism development in the area. Ban Bu cave complex consists of 3 caves: Ban Bu, Hang Dan and Hang Hum located at different elevations in the same Devonian limestone massif. In which, Ban Bu cave is a river cave (active cave) stretching in the northwest-southeast direction, Hang Dan and Hang Hum are dry caves (fossil caves), with a smaller scale than Ban Bu cave. The stalactite system has all 5 types of common stalactites in the karst cave: dripstone, flowstone, seepstone or pore deposits, pool deposits, and condensation deposits. Each cave has its own diversity of stalactites and uniqueness, and has high aesthetic value, making it suitable for sustainable tourism exploitation as well as having great significance for scientific research and education.