Vietnam's landmark - Son Doong Cave - is honored by Google Doodle
Following the icons of doodle bread, doodle pho, doodle of Hoi An city of Vietnam on the Google homepage, Doodle Son Doong continues to be a practical activity of Google to promote Vietnamese culture, cuisine and tourism to with the international community.
Doodle Son Doong appeared on the Google homepage to celebrate the day local farmer Ho Khanh and expeditions of the British Cave Research Association officially discovered the world's largest cave in 2009. Doodle Son Doong recreated the frame. The scene of the giant sinkhole is located deeper in the cave, with the sunlight illuminating the cave scene with many green shades of the mountains.
The giant sinkholes allow sunlight and rain to nourish the primary forest ecosystem, which is home to many species of creatures such as bats, crows and monkeys. A whole primeval forest that thrives right in this magnificent cave will continue to amaze any visitor to Son Doong, even seasoned explorers.
With the aim to support Vietnam's tourism recovery by attracting international tourists to the Southeast Asian country after the pandemic, Doodle Son Doong not only appears on the Vietnamese Google homepage but also on the Google homepage in many countries and territories such as Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Greece, Republic of Guatemala, Republic of Honduras, Mexico, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, US Virgin Islands, UK.
Son Doong Cave was certified by Guinness World Records, the World Records Association as the world's largest cave, with a width of 150 meters, a height of more than 200 meters, and a length of up to nearly 9km. Nestled deep within the remote jungles of central Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, lies a natural phenomenon unparalleled by any other on Earth - the gargantuan Son Doong Cave.
Gargantuan Son Doong Cave
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is not only the home of Son Doong - the world's largest cave, but also En cave - the third largest cave in the world, and also the first destination on the way to Son Doong cave. Besides, more than 350 caves, underground rivers and rare flora and fauna have been found here.
Dubbed the ‘King of Caves’, Mr. Howard Limbert, one of the first members of the Royal British Cave Association to discover Son Doong cave in 2009, said that he had discovered 700 caves throughout Vietnam including 350 of them are located in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park. It can be seen that Son Doong still remains many mysteries. Besides, he hoped that plant experts can come to study the biodiversity in the cave in the near future.
In the past 5 years, Son Doong cave that British Magazine Conde Nast Traveler named Son Doong one of seven must-explore wonders of 2020 has welcomed nearly 3,500 visitors to the cave to explore.
According to the provincial Department of Tourism, all 1,000 slots for the Son Doong expedition adventure tour to the world’s largest cave in the central province of Quang Binh have been fully booked by domestic visitors for 2022.
During the tour, visitors will cross underground rivers, explore two gigantic cave ceiling collapses, traverse through underground rainforests and sleep in some of the world’s most magnificent campsites.
Since 2003 on the homepage of Google Vietnamese (Google.com.vn), there have been many Doodle works as how Google honors the unique culture in Vietnam as well as celebrates traditional holidays such as National Day. Vietnamese Catholic Church, Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, National Day, special characters such as musician Trinh Cong Son, poet Xuan Quynh, painter Bui Xuan Phai, special dishes of Vietnamese cuisine such as cakes noodles, pho.
