The mystery of Cat Don Cave signals good luck in Ninh Binh

Tu trung tam xa Gia Hung, huyen Gia Vien (Ninh Binh), men theo con duong rung nui lay loi va ram rap cay coi gan chuc cay so moi den hang Cat Dun. Anh: Nguyen Truong

From the center of Gia Hung commune, Gia Vien district (Ninh Binh), along a muddy mountain road and forested with trees nearly 10km, we can reach Cat Don cave. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Theo truyen thuyet, tu thuo xa xua, tai chon hang dong nay da xay ra dieu ky la. Cu vao thang 8 am lich hang nam, cat trong hang nui dun ra ngoai cua hang. Anh: Nguyen Truong

According to legend, a strange thing has happened to this cave since ancient times. Every year in the 8th lunar month, the sand in the cave is splashed out of the cave entrance. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Tuong truyen, hinh dang dong cat se du bao su viec co the xay ra trong nam. Den thang 3 nam sau, cat lai bi hut het vao trong hang dong. Anh: Nguyen Truong

According to legend, the shape of the sand piles will predict an event that may happen in the year. By March of the following year, all the sand was sucked into the cave. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Thay ky la, nguoi dan da lap den tho Chua Son Lam va Duc Cao Son Thanh Hoang. Den duoc lap tren mot hoc da, phia duoi la hang sau, den nay van con hien huu. Anh: Nguyen Truong

Seeing the strange thing, the people built a temple to worship the Lunar New Year and King Cao Son Thanh Hoang. The temple was built on a stone pit, below which is a deep cave, and is still there today. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Theo ba Vu Thi Duoc - Pho chu tich UBND huyen Gia Vien, Hang nam, cu vao ngay 15 thang 1 am lich se dien ra Le hoi den Cat Dun, day cung la dip de nguoi dan va du khach tham gia chiem bai, dang le cau cho mua thuan, gio hoa, mua mang tuoi tot, cuoc song am no, binh an… Anh: Nguyen Truong

According to Ms. Vu Thi Duoc - Vice Chairman of Gia Vien District People's Committee, every year, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Cat Don Temple Festival takes place here. This is also an opportunity for people and tourists to participate in worshiping and offering prayers for favorable weather, good harvests, prosperous and peaceful life... Photo: Nguyen Truong

“Hang Cat Dun nam ngay chan nui da voi, phia truoc la dong suoi can, suoi chi co nuoc vao mua mua. Hang co 2 cua, mot cua huong Tay Nam nam sat chan nui rong tu 4-5m va mot cua con lai quay huong Tay, cach cua thu nhat khoang 30m ve phia Tay Bac, nam cao hon chan nui khoang 8m” - ba Duoc cho hay.

According to Ms. Duoc, around the 8th lunar month every year, a lot of sand in the cave is released, but no year is the same as another year, forming many large piles of different sizes in front of the cave entrance. The shape of the sand piles never exceeds 25m in length and 15m in width. By the third lunar month of the following year, the volume of sand was automatically sucked into the cave. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Neu cat dun ra co hinh dong lua, thi nam do mua thuan gio hoa, san xuat nong nghiep duoc mua, nhan dan am no. Neu cat co hinh con de, du bao hien tuong co mua to, lu lut. Den thang 3 nam sau lai hut het cat vao trong hang dong nen moi goi la “Thang 8 xay ra, thang 3 xay vao” (hay “Thang 8 dun ra, thang 3 dun vao”

"If the sand is splashed out like a pile of rice, that year the rain will be favorable, agricultural production will be good for the season, and people will be prosperous. If the sand is shaped like a dike, it is predicted that there will be heavy rain and flooding" - Ms. Duoc said. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Cung theo ba Duoc, hien tuong cat dun ra, dun vao trong hang xuat hien tu lau nhung den nay van la mot bi an. Dia phuong mong muon co duoc su nghien cuu cua cac nha khoa hoc va chuyen gia de tim ra loi giai. Anh: Nguyen Truong

According to Ms. Duoc, the phenomenon of sand splashed out and in the cave has appeared for a long time but is still a mystery. The locality hopes to have research from scientists and experts to find a solution. Photo: Nguyen Truong