Visitors to Vai Gioi cave in Ninh Binh ascend nearly 450 steps to reach a natural marvel shaped over a thousand years.
Vai Gioi Cave, formed around the 10th century, is a natural masterpiece filled with sparkling stalactites and symbolic legends. Known as a place of spiritual convergence, the cave is divided into three distinct levels representing “earth – hell – heaven.”
Located atop a high mountain in the Thung Nham area of Nam Hoa Lu ward, Ninh Binh province, Vai Gioi Cave once served as a sacred site for sky-worship ceremonies by residents of the ancient Hoa Lu capital. Here, they prayed for good weather, bountiful harvests, and national peace.
The cave is revered as a heavenly realm - a meeting point of sky and earth, yin and yang.
To reach Vai Gioi Cave, visitors must climb 439 winding stone steps around the mountain slope.
Perched 100 meters above the ground, the cave demands effort from those who wish to experience its mysteries. Visitors must ascend 439 winding stone steps hugging the mountainside to arrive at the entrance.
Inside, they are greeted by layers of glowing stalactites, shaped into countless forms by nature. Covering approximately 5,000 square meters, the cave is divided into three levels - each representing one of the realms: the earthly world, the underworld, and heaven.
A narrow cave entrance lies halfway up the mountain slope.
The main entrance leads into the “earthly world,” where smooth, flat stone formations symbolize the simplicity of everyday life.
Descending deeper via a set of stone stairs, visitors enter the “hell” level, marked by two massive stalactites resembling Tibetan mastiffs guarding the gates of the underworld.
This level features stone formations linked to ancient legends - the Nai Ha Bridge, the throne of the King of Hell, the blade of death, the Stone of Three Lives, and fiery cauldrons. The chilling darkness and echoing silence evoke an eerie atmosphere, vividly recreating the mythical 18 layers of hell.
Inside the 5,000-square-meter cave are ancient stalactite formations dating back a thousand years.
To the left of the cave entrance, visitors climb 88 narrow steps to reach the heavenly level.
To the left of the entrance, an iron staircase with 88 steep steps leads to the “heaven” level. Here, a collection of divine rock formations - resembling nirvana, bodhisattvas, and celestial palaces - creates a serene and sacred space.
This uppermost realm is believed to represent a pure land, home to an altar honoring the Buddha.
The “earthly” level features flat stalactites symbolizing ordinary life.The “hell” level symbolizes the cycles of birth, aging, sickness, death, and karma.Within the cave are many stalactites in bizarre, captivating shapes.Some stone formations resemble trees and grain jars…...while others mimic animal teeth or fish bones scattered around the cave.
Most notably, this level features a “sky gate” opening to the outside, offering sweeping views of the valley below - a breathtaking reward after the climb.
Today, Vai Gioi Cave attracts both domestic and international tourists with its mesmerizing formations and rich spiritual lore.
Believed to have formed in the 10th century, the cave is one of the oldest natural wonders in the Thung Nham limestone mountain range. It is steeped in mystical tales and is thought to possess supernatural energy.
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