Thuy Tien Cave is evidence of a mysterious legend. No tourist misses it when visiting Thác Ba Lake, Yen Bai Province.
Thủy Tiên Cave carries a legend of the romantic love between Prince Trọng Hải and Princess Thủy Tiên. Each year, it attracts many tourists. They come to explore the pure beauty and the cave’s mysterious legend. Let’s explore this place with GearGru.com.
Departing from Huong Ly Pier or Thac Ba Port for about an hour by boat, tourists will reach Thủy Tiên Cave. The cave is on a limestone island in the middle of Thác Ba Lake. The island rises about 100 meters from the water. The cave is deep and has sparkling, multicolored stalactites.
Legend has it that Prince Trọng Hải is the son of the Water Deity. The deity is the king who rules the seas and rivers under the mortal realm, in Eastern mythology. Once, while wandering on the Chảy River, the prince saw a strange mountain above the water. He climbed the mountain to see the view. There, he met Princess Thủy Tiên. She was also enjoying her time there.
Princess Thủy Tiên is one of the nine daughters of the Jade Emperor. He is the king who rules the heavenly court in Eastern mythology. She fell in love with the beauty of Thác Ba and Chảy River and often escaped here to play. When the two met, they fell in love and couldn’t bear to be apart.
Thuy Tien Cave is where the two people lived together. Thus, this mystical legend associates with all the details in the cave.
In the legend, the cave entrance leads to the center of the palace. There, three stone pillars stand among the nine in the cave. Of these three pillars, one is human-shaped. It hangs upside down, with its legs up and head down. According to legend, the Jade Emperor sent this deity to manage the palace for the princess. But, because of a mistake, they’ve punished the deity by hanging it upside down like this.
Near the ventilation hole is a statue of an eagle made of stalactites. According to legend, this is the eagle of the Jade Emperor. It’s always been resident here to bring the princess to the Jade Emperor when needed.
Further inside is Prince Trọng Hải’s palace. There, tourists will see the fourth stone column. It’s special because if you tap on it, it will make the sound of a “Cồng Chiêng.” This is a traditional instrument of the Mường ethnic group, one of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. According to legend, it’s a signal. It tells the top officials to gather and talk about national affairs.
In the prince’s palace, there are two strips of stalactites hanging straight down. According to legend, these represent the teachings of the Water Deity. They mean “All actions must be clear.” On the left of these two stalactites, there is a heart-shaped one. According to the legend, it represents the teachings of the prince’s mother. They mean “Do everything with sincerity.”
In Princess Thuy Tien’s palace, there is a strip of stalactites hanging down, shaped like a human arm. According to the legend, this is the arm of Prince Truong Hai. At first, the Water Deity and the Jade Emperor forbade the love between the princess and the prince. They thought that love between a heaven-dweller and a water-dweller wouldn’t last. To prove his love for Princess Thuy Tien, Prince Truong Hai cut off one of his arms. This touched the Water Deity and the Jade Emperor. They created the cave for the princess and the prince to live in.
Next is the Fairy Well. The Jade Emperor forbade the princess from loving Prince Trọng Hải. She often comes here to cry and then bathes in the well. The well is next to the heart. It is the heart of the prince. It has many wrinkles. They suffer from the agony of struggling. He struggles to choose between loving the princess and following his father’s teachings.
In both the prince’s and the princess’s palaces, there are stairs leading to the second floor of the cave. A path goes up to the third floor from the rock, about 100 meters deep. There, more stalactites continue the legend for tourists to explore.
The romantic Thác Ba Lake and the mysterious Thủy Tiên Cave make Thủy Tiên Cave an ideal destination. It’s for tourists who love to explore the nature of Thác Ba Lake and the northwest mountains of Vietnam. Thủy Tiên Cave is also a major stop on tours of Thác Ba Lake.