Chom-Ong Cave
The Chom-Ong Cave in the Lao province of Oudomxay is around 16 kilometers long and is considered the longest cave in northern Laos .
Naming
The residents of Ban ("village") Chom Ong know the cave as "Tam Chia" ( Lao : bat cave ) because they hunt bats in it for food and extract guano , which can be used as fertilizer, explosives or gunpowder. In view of the fact that many Laotian caves have this name, the village name, "Chom Ong", was assigned to it to better distinguish it from research groups. In Khmu language, Chom Ong means “beehive”, which indicates beekeeping as a traditional occupation in the village.
Location and infrastructure
The cave is located about 45 kilometers from Muang Xay , the provincial capital of Oudomxays on the border of the Xay district with the Nam Or district. It is located near the village of Ban Chom Ong, whose inhabitants belong to the Khmu ethnic group. The infrastructural connection of the village to Muang Xay is a mountainous dust road that is very difficult to drive on in the rainy season. In the dry season, about two to two and a half hours are needed to cover this distance by motorcycle or a suitable car. Starting from the village, the cave can be reached in about an hour's hike.
geology
The cave extends within a four kilometer long mountain range and has a north and a south entrance. Their ceiling heights are up to 50 meters, with aisles of 20 to 30 meters. Once the measurements have been completed in January 2010, their total length is estimated to be 16 kilometers.
From the large, hall-like main corridor of Chom Ong, there are numerous branches that form circular paths or long dead-end streets. The cave also runs on several levels, with the river Nam Kaang flowing in the lower areas, which gathers in the open air at the south end in a basin and enters the cave through a shaft.
The higher levels form balconies in several places, from which one can look down on the river from about 15 meters. The Chom Ong is characterized by particularly impressive stalagmites and stalactites as well as large, sparkling sinter formations .
history
In 2006 the Oudomxay Department of Tourism found out about the existence of this cave while searching for potential tourist attractions in the province. It had previously been known to the villagers of Ban Chom Ong for generations, its easily accessible areas were used for hunting bats and fish and for the extraction of guano .
Since then, measures have been taken to prepare the village for eco-tourism value creation from the cave. The village should have a large share of the income for the purpose of minimizing poverty. With the support of the German Development Service , workshops such as tour guide and cooking training were carried out for the village population in 2007 and a guest house was built as an overnight accommodation option for tourists.
In January 2009, an international group of researchers from the Northern Lao - European Cave Project surveyed the cave in parts and provisionally calculated an approximate length of 13.5 kilometers. With the support of the Schmitz Foundation , toilets and washing facilities were built for the residents of the neighboring village and a supply of drinking water through ceramic filters. The first 450 meters of the cave were provided with lighting. Research on the cave continued in early 2010. After the end of the measurements in January, a length of around 16 kilometers is assumed. In the same month an information board was installed in front of the entrance to the cave and the cave was opened to tourists for the first time .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Ban Chom Ong ( Memento of the original from July 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Provincial Tourism Department Oudomxay website. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
- ↑ a b c Oudomxay Provincial Tourism Department: Brochure Chom Ong Cave System. Oudomxay Province In: Tourist Department Reference Library, Oudomxay Provincial Government
- ^ A b German Development Service: Oudomxay Annual Report 2009
- ^ British Cave Research Association: Speleology , May 13, 2009, p. 34
Web links
Coordinates: 20 ° 40 ′ 56.1 ″ N , 101 ° 51 ′ 54.8 ″ E