The cave lies within the core zone of the UNESCO-listed Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, in the Thung Ui Cultural Tourism Site in Tay Hoa Lu Ward, Ninh Binh Province.
Outside Boi Cave in the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex (Photo: Thai Ba).
Reaching the site requires a walk up stone steps along a mountainside. From the entrance to the Thung Ui forest, visitors travel about 1km, climbing more than 100 metres.
The cave extends 60 to 70 metres into the mountain and contains chambers of varying sizes, along with stalactites and stalagmites formed through natural processes over millions of years.
Layers of mollusc shells, traces linked to the ancient inhabitants' practice of gathering natural food sources (Photo: Thai Ba).
Phung The Quynh, operations director of the Thung Ui Cultural Tourism Site, said Vietnamese and international scientists had been jointly studying Boi Cave since 2007. Their research has uncovered archaeological evidence that has helped shed light on the lives of ancient inhabitants.
Findings inside the cave reveal traces of human activity in the distant past. At the entrance, researchers discovered layers of mollusc shells, suggesting that early inhabitants gathered naturally available food.
“When people relied mainly on hunting and gathering, resources from forests, mountains, rivers and streams played an important role in daily life,” Quynh said. “Traces such as these help researchers understand how people made a living and adapted to their natural surroundings at different points in history.”
Nguyen Cao Tan, deputy director of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, said the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was significant not only for its distinctive scenery but also for its caves bearing evidence of prehistoric settlement and human adaptation to the natural environment.
Discoveries at Boi Cave have added to research into human settlement in Ninh Binh’s limestone mountain landscape. Analysis of soil layers, artefacts and other surviving traces has given specialists further evidence with which to investigate living conditions, daily practices and the relationship between prehistoric people and their environment.
Visitors inside Boi Cave (Photo: Thai Ba).
Boi Cave prepares to welcome visitors
The Thung Ui Cultural Tourism Site has prepared to open Boi Cave to visitors, Quynh said. Tourism activities will be organised with an emphasis on protecting the heritage, preserving the natural environment and landscape, and supporting sustainable tourism.
The site’s operators also plan to survey nearby caves and investigate their archaeological, historical and cultural significance to develop new tourism products for Vietnamese and international visitors.
Natural layers of cave formations inside Boi Cave attract visitors (Photo: Thai Ba).
Tan said opening eligible sites within the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex to visitors would allow people to learn more directly about the region’s history and the lives of its ancient inhabitants. It could also help communicate the site’s outstanding universal value while expanding archaeological tourism.
Developing Boi Cave as an archaeological tourism destination offers the public another way to explore evidence of prehistoric settlement in Trang An. Its long-term success will depend on integrating scientific research, heritage interpretation and visitor management while ensuring archaeological remains are protected.
In the near future, the Boi Cave exploration tour will open to visitors (Photo: Thai Ba).
Nguyen Hoa Man, a guide at the Thung Ui Cultural Tourism Site, said guides were studying historical documents, archaeological findings and other relevant materials to explain the site’s significance to visitors.
Their interpretation aims to go beyond the landscape, covering archaeological evidence, settlement history and the lives and customs of prehistoric people.
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