Emerging from a century of "white man conservation," which turned their…
A Crack in the Mountain
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Deep in the jungle of Central Vietnam, lies a magnificent underground kingdom. Hang Son Ðoòng which translates as “mountain river cave”, is located in the Phong Nha-Ke Bàng National Park in Quang Bình Province. It is the largest cave passage in the world and a place of spectacular beauty; the national park is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
In 2014, Son Doong’s future was thrown into doubt when plans were announced to build a cable car into the cave to attract tourism. With many arguing that this would destroy its delicate eco-system and the local community divided over the benefits this development would bring, A Crack in the Mountain follows those caught up in the unfolding events.
Beautifully shot and scored, the film uses this narrative as a lens through which to investigate related themes such as the challenges of modern day exploration, environmental conservation and sustainability, and the perils of operating as an activist in a country such as Vietnam—where freedom of speech is severely curtailed.
"The film is breathtaking, as Alastair Evans captures Hang Son Doong's beauty incredibly. The imagery alone nails down the importance of keeping these caves untouched by anything resembling corporate greed." Alan Ng, Film Threat
"Showcasing the spectacular beauty and sublime mystery of Hang Son Doong cave, A Crack in the Mountain exposes the complex trade-offs between environmental conservation and economic development at the heart of ongoing debates over the future of tourist access to this little-known natural wonder. Drawing on a diverse cast of voices, including those of local residents and business owners, expatriate tour operators, foreign visitors, scholars, and a passionate Vietnamese activist, the film effectively conveys the challenges facing environmental politics in Vietnam today and explores the prospects for sustainable tourism in a rapidly developing country. An excellent choice for classroom use, this film is sure to capture the attention of students and spark lively debate on these challenging yet important issues." Jacob Weger, Lecturer of Environmental Studies, Seton Hall University
"If you were to step into the world's largest cave - backpack strapped, flashlight on - just what would you find? A Crack in the Mountain tells the story of a mega-ecological site at the acme of globalization. Featuring diverse perspectives of an uncertain future in Vietnam, this film is sure to strike at the heartstrings. Students of global studies and environmental humanities will be eager to listen to the international voices of the explorers, business owners, visitors, and environmental activists." Hieu Phung, Assistant Professor of Global Studies-Asia, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
"A Crack In The Mountain focuses on management priorities at Hang Son Doong, the world's largest cave inside Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam. Government officials, private businesses, and environmentalists share differing opinions on whether it should be a 'must-see' or 'must-save' destination. Instead, this documentary presents a 'must-sustain' solution that relies on a mix of social, environmental, and economic benefits for balancing public enjoyment with resource preservation." Mark Morgan, Associate Professor of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, University of Missouri
"Visually stunning, A Crack in the Mountain captures the natural wonder of the Hang Son Doong cave in the shadow of debates about economic and infrastructural development and environmental impact. This film depicts the perspectives of local environmental activists, foreign tourists, and local (foreign and Vietnamese) business owners to trace what rapid change looks like in contemporary Vietnam and introduce questions of value from multiple viewpoints. The film is highly recommended for courses that seek to unpack the politics of development, local livelihood, and who can and should make decisions about environmental conservation." Sarah Grant, Associate Professor of Anthropology, California State University-Fullerton
"A Crack in the Mountain offers a well-rounded examination of the tensions between development, environmental conservation, and environmental commodification. We see many perspectives offering insights into how they understand nature and its role in society as an artifact, an opportunity, and an organism. Beautifully shot, this film is a must-see for those interested in environmental controversies, development and the environment, and a clear example of the social construction of nature." Robert Krueger, Professor of Social Science and Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Author, Adventures in Sustainable Urbanism
"Magical, remarkable, dramatic, indescribable, otherworldly... A Crack In the Mountain is a portal to understanding the balances to be negotiated in a dynamic and ever-changing world. It is an experience that enables the viewer to become a fellow-traveler to an edenic world, all the while appreciating what is at risk and what obligations we have to protect, preserve and sustain it." Herbert Paine, Broadway World
"Thought- provoking, stimulating, powerful...4 green thumbs up." Carol Kahn, Green Living Magazine
"Beautifully captures the tension between the preservation of Earth's natural wonders and the exploitation of nature to satisfy human greed." Al Nigrin, New Jersey Stage
Citation
Main credits
Evans, Alastair (film director)
Evans, Alastair (film producer)
Evans, Alastair (editor of moving image work)
Evans, Alastair (director of photography)
Other credits
Music, Musicbed.
Distributor subjects
Activism,Anthropology,Asian Studies,Conservation,Developing World,Economics,Environment,Geography,Geology,Global Issues,Globalization,Local Economies,Poverty,Recreation,Sociology,Sustainable Development,VietnamKeywords
00:00:08.606 --> 00:00:11.273
(eerie music)
00:00:30.060 --> 00:00:31.650
- [Interviewer] Adam Spillane
is just back
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from an experience
that's out of this world.
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Well, Adam, maybe, I guess
it's under this world,
00:00:36.210 --> 00:00:37.440
would that be more accurate?
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- [Adam] Yes, that'd be more accurate.
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- [Interviewer] Where were you?
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- [Adam] I was in a cave in Vietnam.
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Currently, the largest
cave passage in the world.
00:00:45.690 --> 00:00:48.060
The cave is Hang Son Doong,
00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:49.770
which means "mountain river cave."
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It's in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang
National Park in Vietnam,
00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:56.100
which is also a world heritage site.
00:01:00.208 --> 00:01:02.100
- [Interviewer] This is a huge
cave, like four miles long.
00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:03.660
- [Adam] Yeah, about four miles long,
00:01:03.660 --> 00:01:07.200
but the major thing about it
was the passage dimensions,
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which are over 600 feet
high and over 450 feet wide.
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- [Interviewer] So you
didn't need to duck?
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- [Adam] Ah, no.
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- [Interviewer] And it has
these enormous
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vaulted ceilings like a cathedral?
00:01:20.220 --> 00:01:21.090
- [Adam] Yes, it does.
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But a little bigger
than most cathedrals.
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(gentle music)
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- [Interviewer] What did it
feel like being in there?
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Did it feel to you like
you were in a sacred space?
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- [Adam] Could I just pass
you over to my colleague here,
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Helen Brooke, who was the
youngest member of the expedition?
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- [Helen] It felt really humbling
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and you felt just really tiny.
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- [Interviewer] Do you
have plans to go back?
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- [Adam] Yes, at the moment
we're planning
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to go back in 2011.
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(gentle music)
00:02:01.064 --> 00:02:02.940
It is currently the
biggest cave in the world,
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which is a big deal for lots of people.
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And as a result of that,
00:02:07.050 --> 00:02:09.450
there's been an awful lot of tourism
00:02:09.450 --> 00:02:11.480
to this part of the world.
00:02:19.660 --> 00:02:22.243
(gentle music)
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- [President Obama] If we're gonna
ensure the health of our people
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and the beauty of our planet,
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then development has to be sustainable.
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Natural wonders like Hạ
Long Bay and Son Doong Cave
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have to be preserved for our
children, our grandchildren.
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(poignant music)
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(music continues)
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(crickets chirping)
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(birds tweeting)
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(fire whooshing)
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(oil sizzling)
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(soft Vietnamese music)
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(music continues)
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(campers indistinct chatters)
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- [Jonathan] This is a very
temporary situation.
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If you look at what they're doing,
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you wouldn't be hopeful.
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I'm glad I got to see it when I did.
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- [Woman] It feels good knowing that
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we got to see it in its
most natural state
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before it changes.
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- [Howard] Anybody ready?
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Okay then.
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Queue up.
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You are gonna need, no, that's not good.
00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:53.043
You need the black ones...
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for Chad.
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Now I don't know how high
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this water's going to be,
00:04:57.390 --> 00:04:59.130
or even if you've got to swim,
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but we will find out and I'll
pass that information back.
00:05:11.557 --> 00:05:14.307
(poignant music)
00:05:19.620 --> 00:05:20.453
- [Jonathan] When I went through it,
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we were probably less
than a thousand people,
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maybe less than 2,000
people, been through it,
00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:29.340
which is fewer than
gone up Mount Everest.
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It's of interest to cavers,
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but it's gonna be
of interest to everybody
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because it's so dramatic
and so remarkable, you know.
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You can't describe it.
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(wind whistling)
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(gentle music)
00:06:02.790 --> 00:06:04.350
- [Man] I mean, it's a cliched phrase,
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but it took my breath away.
00:06:09.780 --> 00:06:12.723
It confounded every
expectation of being in a cave.
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(orchestral music)
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When I was in that cave,
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I saw things that I would not believe
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if I saw pictures of it.
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(music continues)
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It really elicits a
sense of wonder in you,
00:06:51.840 --> 00:06:56.009
which is the closest
feeling that I have had
00:06:56.009 --> 00:07:00.610
to a belief in magic
since I was a child.
00:07:02.015 --> 00:07:05.682
(music continues)
00:07:13.998 --> 00:07:16.590
(gentle piano music)
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You're walking through
an underground world.
00:07:19.440 --> 00:07:21.390
You go through these caverns,
00:07:21.390 --> 00:07:24.303
and it doesn't even seem
like you're in a cavern.
00:07:25.230 --> 00:07:26.550
It's pitch black.
00:07:26.550 --> 00:07:27.960
Alls you got is your headlamps
00:07:27.960 --> 00:07:29.280
and then you see these dolines
00:07:29.280 --> 00:07:31.650
where you see a rainforest ahead of you
00:07:31.650 --> 00:07:34.020
or you hear a waterfall beside you,
00:07:34.020 --> 00:07:36.663
and it doesn't even seem
like you're in a cave.
00:07:39.299 --> 00:07:42.382
(gentle piano music)
00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:48.150
- [Howard] At some time in its life,
00:07:48.150 --> 00:07:51.810
Son Doong would've been a lot
bigger than what it is now,
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and there's only sections of the cave
00:07:53.280 --> 00:07:55.923
that show its immense height and width.
00:07:56.760 --> 00:07:58.710
I'll give you an example
of sort of scale,
00:07:58.710 --> 00:08:00.390
and it's not one of the largest parts.
00:08:00.390 --> 00:08:02.310
It's just one that we've
measured quite accurately.
00:08:02.310 --> 00:08:04.650
There's a relatively small
part of Son Doong,
00:08:04.650 --> 00:08:06.000
and that's the first camp,
00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:07.920
which is on the Level Playing Fields.
00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:10.230
This is one nice flat area of sand
00:08:10.230 --> 00:08:12.210
where we base our first camp,
00:08:12.210 --> 00:08:15.150
and we know it's over 110 meters
00:08:15.150 --> 00:08:17.580
down to the river there.
00:08:17.580 --> 00:08:20.700
So it's 110 meters from
the camp down to the river
00:08:20.700 --> 00:08:23.940
and up is around 90 meters to the roof.
00:08:23.940 --> 00:08:25.830
It's just over a hundred meters wide.
00:08:25.830 --> 00:08:29.610
And we know this will comfortably
fit a large city block,
00:08:29.610 --> 00:08:32.610
again, which I say is one of
the smaller parts of the cave.
00:08:32.610 --> 00:08:35.730
So it gives you some
idea of the dimensions.
00:08:35.730 --> 00:08:38.340
In certain sections of the
cave, such as Doline One,
00:08:38.340 --> 00:08:39.660
it's immensely high.
00:08:39.660 --> 00:08:43.770
So from the river to the
very top is 449 meters,
00:08:43.770 --> 00:08:45.990
so that's the tallest part of the cave.
00:08:45.990 --> 00:08:48.420
The sections of the cave
that are incredibly wide,
00:08:48.420 --> 00:08:52.890
such as in Doline Two,
which is 175 meters wide.
00:08:52.890 --> 00:08:54.750
And the cliffs there
from the top of the hill
00:08:54.750 --> 00:08:56.880
that you climb up in Doline Two
00:08:56.880 --> 00:08:59.550
are 252 meters to the surface.
00:08:59.550 --> 00:09:03.720
The highest part of the dark
underground part of the cave
00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:05.490
is the Great Wall of Vietnam,
00:09:05.490 --> 00:09:08.880
and that is 199.98 meters,
00:09:08.880 --> 00:09:12.030
to which I think it's safe
to say it's 200 meters.
00:09:12.030 --> 00:09:13.650
It's very difficult to see the roof
00:09:13.650 --> 00:09:15.780
in that part of the cave.
00:09:15.780 --> 00:09:17.744
I doubt if there's ever going to be
00:09:17.744 --> 00:09:20.585
another larger cave than Son Doong.
00:09:20.585 --> 00:09:23.190
Geologically, it's just a perfect size.
00:09:23.190 --> 00:09:26.070
But I hope when people visit Son Doong
00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:28.980
they take with them a lot
more than that little tick box
00:09:28.980 --> 00:09:31.350
of "visited the world's biggest cave,"
00:09:31.350 --> 00:09:34.290
because it is so unique and special.
00:09:34.290 --> 00:09:37.470
- [Jonathan] It's very, very powerful.
00:09:37.470 --> 00:09:41.220
You know, it's very powerful
that cave and experience of it.
00:09:41.220 --> 00:09:43.680
And I think you will see
it being less powerful
00:09:43.680 --> 00:09:46.770
if it becomes too easy.
00:09:46.770 --> 00:09:48.330
The world is pretty well trampled,
00:09:48.330 --> 00:09:51.480
so getting to a place that
still has some essence
00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:52.713
becomes a mission.
00:09:55.530 --> 00:09:56.910
Just to get to the mouth of the cave,
00:09:56.910 --> 00:09:59.730
you're two days,
a day and a half into it.
00:09:59.730 --> 00:10:02.160
And then you're three days
from anything,
00:10:02.160 --> 00:10:04.143
any support system at all.
00:10:06.870 --> 00:10:09.240
- [Howard] In the area, which
is the whole karst region
00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.070
of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park,
00:10:11.070 --> 00:10:13.380
we've covered about 30% of the area.
00:10:13.380 --> 00:10:16.293
So 70% is still unexplored.
00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:19.920
Without the local people,
00:10:19.920 --> 00:10:22.320
very few of these caves
would've been found.
00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.620
In fact, of the 350
caves that we've explored
00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:27.030
in Quang Binh alone,
00:10:27.030 --> 00:10:30.723
less than 10 that we've
actually explored by ourselves,
00:10:31.590 --> 00:10:33.787
so they're led us to
99% of all the caves
00:10:33.787 --> 00:10:35.550
that have been discovered here,
00:10:35.550 --> 00:10:37.020
And they did all the hard work
00:10:37.020 --> 00:10:38.640
finding the entrances for us,
00:10:38.640 --> 00:10:40.290
and they're still doing this day.
00:11:03.430 --> 00:11:06.263
(water splashing)
00:11:50.127 --> 00:11:53.127
(crickets chirping)
00:11:54.173 --> 00:11:58.756
(porters chatting in Vietnamese)
00:12:40.140 --> 00:12:42.890
(birds chirping)
00:13:03.285 --> 00:13:05.112
(porters laughing)
00:13:05.112 --> 00:13:09.695
(porters chatting in Vietnamese)
00:13:14.064 --> 00:13:16.814
(wind whistling)
00:13:34.428 --> 00:13:37.428
(light piano music)
00:13:54.475 --> 00:13:58.308
(music continues)
00:14:14.599 --> 00:14:18.432
(music continues)
00:14:37.421 --> 00:14:42.421
(traffic humming)
(car horns honking)
00:14:44.729 --> 00:14:49.729
(siren blaring)
(car horns honking)
00:14:57.410 --> 00:14:58.660
- [Huong] It was scary...
00:15:02.910 --> 00:15:07.140
I think for me it was both scary
00:15:07.140 --> 00:15:10.263
and inspiring to find a cause.
00:15:12.030 --> 00:15:15.420
My whole life I had been
looking for something
00:15:15.420 --> 00:15:18.210
that could make me feel like
when I'm with Save Son Doong,
00:15:18.210 --> 00:15:22.110
like something that make me
feel so passionate about.
00:15:22.110 --> 00:15:25.890
Something that make me feel
like I can die for this.
00:15:25.890 --> 00:15:29.586
And Save Son Doong gave me that sense.
00:15:29.586 --> 00:15:32.003
(soft music)
00:15:34.261 --> 00:15:37.094
(traffic humming)
00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:49.650
I would like to ask you guys
00:15:49.650 --> 00:15:51.090
to close your eyes for a little bit,
00:15:51.090 --> 00:15:52.953
and keep them closed for me please.
00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.063
Now, what do you see?
00:15:58.890 --> 00:15:59.823
Darkness?
00:16:00.690 --> 00:16:02.220
Emptiness?
00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:03.053
Nothing?
00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:06.180
Well, please open your eyes again
00:16:06.180 --> 00:16:08.970
and let me tell you about my experience
00:16:08.970 --> 00:16:11.910
seeing what could be
considered absolute darkness.
00:16:11.910 --> 00:16:13.740
And my experience with absolute darkness
00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:17.400
happened at this beautiful
place, Son Doong Cave,
00:16:17.400 --> 00:16:20.658
the world's largest underground kingdom.
00:16:20.658 --> 00:16:24.270
(orchestral music)
00:16:24.270 --> 00:16:27.240
As a child, I loved reading books,
00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:29.730
and some of the first books
00:16:29.730 --> 00:16:34.170
that sparked the interest
of exploring the world in me
00:16:34.170 --> 00:16:36.575
were those by Jules Verne.
00:16:36.575 --> 00:16:39.492
(mysterious music)
00:16:42.780 --> 00:16:43.953
I loved all of them.
00:16:44.887 --> 00:16:47.287
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea",
00:16:47.287 --> 00:16:49.200
"Eighty Days Around the World",
00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.380
"Journey to the Center of the Earth".
00:16:52.380 --> 00:16:55.860
Now, one interesting thing
about Jules Verne's books
00:16:55.860 --> 00:16:58.530
is that all of them
eventually become true.
00:16:58.530 --> 00:17:00.330
Nowadays we have the submarine.
00:17:00.330 --> 00:17:02.850
We can easily travel around the globe
00:17:02.850 --> 00:17:05.400
in way less than 80 days.
00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:10.400
But the only thing that had not
become true before Son Doong
00:17:10.620 --> 00:17:12.730
was "Journey to the
Center of the Earth".
00:17:12.730 --> 00:17:15.480
And Son Doong, up to
now, is the only thing
00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:18.030
that can give us the closest sense
00:17:18.030 --> 00:17:19.443
to what the book described.
00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:23.010
In the book, you have a
completely different world
00:17:23.010 --> 00:17:26.250
that exists parallel to our world
00:17:26.250 --> 00:17:27.930
underneath our feet.
00:17:27.930 --> 00:17:32.880
And that world has animals and plants
00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:36.180
that used to exist on Earth,
00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:39.630
but because of the change
in the environment,
00:17:39.630 --> 00:17:42.540
because of human beings, et cetera,
00:17:42.540 --> 00:17:45.510
they now only exist
in a different world.
00:17:45.510 --> 00:17:47.841
And that world to me is Son Doong.
00:17:47.841 --> 00:17:51.634
(orchestral music)
00:17:51.634 --> 00:17:54.217
(gentle music)
00:17:57.330 --> 00:17:59.250
The place that I remember the most
00:17:59.250 --> 00:18:01.950
is a place that had
never been photographed
00:18:01.950 --> 00:18:03.780
because it's too dark.
00:18:03.780 --> 00:18:05.670
- [Howard] Do you wanna
experience total darkness?
00:18:05.670 --> 00:18:07.020
- [Huong] Howard asked all of us
00:18:07.020 --> 00:18:08.733
to turn off our headlamp,
00:18:10.050 --> 00:18:15.050
and my immediate reaction
was I felt suffocated.
00:18:15.300 --> 00:18:16.350
I couldn't breathe.
00:18:16.350 --> 00:18:18.780
I was overwhelmed with the darkness.
00:18:18.780 --> 00:18:20.550
Putting my hands in front of me,
00:18:20.550 --> 00:18:22.020
I couldn't see them.
00:18:22.020 --> 00:18:23.250
Looking down to my feet,
00:18:23.250 --> 00:18:26.010
I couldn't see where I was standing on.
00:18:26.010 --> 00:18:27.960
And I thought to myself,
00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:31.713
this is probably what I
would feel like when I die,
00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:35.853
when my soul is still
there but my body's gone.
00:18:38.190 --> 00:18:40.440
I imagine we all have tried to envision
00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:42.780
how it felt like when we died,
00:18:42.780 --> 00:18:45.900
when our consciousness is
still aware of everything
00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:48.363
but our body just doesn't exist anymore.
00:18:49.530 --> 00:18:51.600
I was scared at first,
00:18:51.600 --> 00:18:54.660
but then later on I was more impressed
00:18:54.660 --> 00:18:58.398
with the idea that
nature is just so massive,
00:18:58.398 --> 00:19:00.831
darkness can swallow us,
basically anytime.
00:19:02.202 --> 00:19:03.704
(rain splashing)
00:19:03.704 --> 00:19:06.834
(thunder claps)
00:19:06.834 --> 00:19:09.584
(birds chirping)
00:19:13.290 --> 00:19:18.060
I remember it was probably
the third day of my trip,
00:19:18.060 --> 00:19:21.420
and we all just got to
our campsite at a time,
00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:24.393
and suddenly Howard called me aside.
00:19:25.380 --> 00:19:29.100
With teary eyes, he told
me that he regretted
00:19:29.100 --> 00:19:31.357
discovering Son Doong.
00:19:31.357 --> 00:19:34.200
Son Doong was fine on its own.
00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:35.760
But now that it's open to public,
00:19:35.760 --> 00:19:37.800
people want to exploit it for money.
00:19:37.800 --> 00:19:40.590
And as much as he like
to keep the place safe
00:19:40.590 --> 00:19:43.320
by only bringing in the
most respectful people,
00:19:43.320 --> 00:19:44.370
trekking in small groups,
00:19:44.370 --> 00:19:46.590
and cap it at a few hundreds a year,
00:19:46.590 --> 00:19:48.870
there's another
construction conglomerate
00:19:48.870 --> 00:19:51.330
that was trying to build a cable car
00:19:51.330 --> 00:19:54.603
which gonna bring in a
thousand people per hour.
00:19:56.220 --> 00:20:00.003
Going from a few hundreds a
year to a thousand an hour,
00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:02.843
that would kill Son Doong.
00:20:04.464 --> 00:20:07.214
(poignant music)
00:20:14.514 --> 00:20:18.097
(music continues)
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.283
(machinery whirring)
00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:32.880
- [Bill] Vietnam has
a very patchy record
00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.550
of environmental protection.
00:20:35.550 --> 00:20:39.000
Yes, there are established
national parks.
00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:43.440
Yes, there are laws and there
are environmental groups
00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:45.584
that are doing their best.
00:20:45.584 --> 00:20:48.810
But when it comes to
the real competition
00:20:48.810 --> 00:20:52.260
between economic interests
and the environment,
00:20:52.260 --> 00:20:55.320
by and large,
the economic interests win.
00:20:55.320 --> 00:20:57.930
And you've seen some very special places
00:20:57.930 --> 00:21:01.950
that have been ruined
really by overdevelopment.
00:21:01.950 --> 00:21:03.900
Hạ Long Bay is the classic example.
00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:07.050
It's picture postcard beautiful,
or at least it should be,
00:21:07.050 --> 00:21:11.610
but the degree of development
and the lack of concern
00:21:11.610 --> 00:21:13.380
for the consequences of development
00:21:13.380 --> 00:21:17.490
have been shocking in terms
of pollution and destruction
00:21:17.490 --> 00:21:20.040
of the visual environment.
00:21:20.040 --> 00:21:21.390
Vietnam's economic growth
00:21:21.390 --> 00:21:23.700
has been pretty rapid by any standards.
00:21:23.700 --> 00:21:25.950
I mean, it only looks
weak when you compare it,
00:21:25.950 --> 00:21:27.750
say, to China, for example.
00:21:27.750 --> 00:21:31.470
I think that the pressures to develop
00:21:31.470 --> 00:21:33.330
are getting ever stronger.
00:21:33.330 --> 00:21:36.840
A lot of this growth is being
driven by big conglomerates,
00:21:36.840 --> 00:21:39.390
companies like Vingroup or Sun Group
00:21:39.390 --> 00:21:41.400
which are ostensibly private sector,
00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:44.100
but with a lot of state
connection and so forth.
00:21:44.100 --> 00:21:46.170
And we're seeing these big name groups
00:21:46.170 --> 00:21:48.630
driving a lot of the
real estate development.
00:21:48.630 --> 00:21:52.290
And in some places, the
power of these groups
00:21:52.290 --> 00:21:54.300
rivals that of the Communist Party.
00:21:54.300 --> 00:21:56.520
They have money, they have connections.
00:21:56.520 --> 00:21:59.280
They can bring jobs and influence
00:21:59.280 --> 00:22:01.590
into sometimes relatively
poor provinces,
00:22:01.590 --> 00:22:04.980
and it's very hard for those officials,
00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:07.980
even if they wish to,
to resist the pressure.
00:22:07.980 --> 00:22:10.950
- [Huong] There were reports
from as early as 2012
00:22:10.950 --> 00:22:13.560
that the government was
exploring the possibility
00:22:13.560 --> 00:22:16.860
of building a cable car into Son Doong.
00:22:16.860 --> 00:22:21.150
Obviously these discussions
took place behind closed doors,
00:22:21.150 --> 00:22:24.300
but a UNESCO report from around
that time warned about this
00:22:24.300 --> 00:22:26.640
and the damage it would cause.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:29.070
Then, in October 2014,
00:22:29.070 --> 00:22:32.010
plans for the cable car
were officially unveiled.
00:22:32.010 --> 00:22:33.600
The head of Quang Binh Province
00:22:33.600 --> 00:22:35.340
announced at a press conference
00:22:35.340 --> 00:22:38.670
that they had contracted a
large real estate developer
00:22:38.670 --> 00:22:40.350
to begin surveying.
00:22:40.350 --> 00:22:43.320
Vietnam has a track record
for building cable cars
00:22:43.320 --> 00:22:45.270
in places of natural beauty.
00:22:45.270 --> 00:22:47.205
There is a ropeway in Da Nang
00:22:47.205 --> 00:22:48.510
and another in Da Lat,
00:22:48.510 --> 00:22:50.070
but this is the first project
00:22:50.070 --> 00:22:53.610
which met with any kind
of significant opposition.
00:22:53.610 --> 00:22:57.000
A petition opposing the cable
car construction was set up
00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:01.200
which got over 50,000
signatures in less than a week.
00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:04.260
In response to this, a second
press conference was called
00:23:04.260 --> 00:23:08.070
which was essentially an
exercise in damage limitation.
00:23:08.070 --> 00:23:10.830
And after this, things went dark.
00:23:10.830 --> 00:23:13.260
The Vietnamese people are usually
00:23:13.260 --> 00:23:15.780
the last to know what
the government is planning.
00:23:15.780 --> 00:23:18.720
And it was clear that despite
opposition to the project,
00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.870
plans were still being
drawn behind closed doors.
00:23:21.870 --> 00:23:26.870
So in November 2014, I
co-founded Save Son Doong.
00:23:27.116 --> 00:23:29.949
(uplifting music)
00:23:33.780 --> 00:23:36.060
The ultimate purpose of Save Son Doong
00:23:36.060 --> 00:23:39.210
is not to challenge the government.
00:23:39.210 --> 00:23:41.700
We made it very clear within our team
00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:43.210
from the beginning that
00:23:45.090 --> 00:23:47.850
this is an environmental campaign.
00:23:47.850 --> 00:23:49.950
We don't wanna turn it
into a political campaign.
00:23:49.950 --> 00:23:53.520
And even though a lot of people
try to politicize our cause,
00:23:53.520 --> 00:23:55.530
we make it very clear that
00:23:55.530 --> 00:23:57.870
we believe the government of Vietnam
00:23:57.870 --> 00:23:59.310
as well as Vietnamese people
00:23:59.310 --> 00:24:01.440
can make the best choice,
00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:03.750
can make the most informed decisions
00:24:03.750 --> 00:24:06.270
when they have the information.
00:24:06.270 --> 00:24:10.920
So, our purpose is trying our
best to provide the evidence,
00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:13.080
the scientific proof to the government
00:24:13.080 --> 00:24:16.500
so that they can make the
best decisions for Vietnam.
00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:19.440
- [Giang] We had some early
success with protecting Son Doong,
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:21.870
but success will be never enduring
00:24:21.870 --> 00:24:25.050
because we know that the
interest of the big business
00:24:25.050 --> 00:24:25.883
is still there.
00:24:25.883 --> 00:24:29.670
You know, it's really a
big potential for them.
00:24:29.670 --> 00:24:32.317
So it's very hard for them
to forego that and say,
00:24:32.317 --> 00:24:34.230
"Hey, look. We go somewhere else."
00:24:34.230 --> 00:24:36.810
They will come back
again and again and again
00:24:36.810 --> 00:24:39.720
and try to convince the leadership
00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:43.260
and convince the public
that the cable car
00:24:43.260 --> 00:24:45.540
is something good for the province
00:24:45.540 --> 00:24:47.790
and for the country to do.
00:24:47.790 --> 00:24:51.000
Of course I appreciate
that the people in Phong Nha
00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:53.850
have the right to a better livelihood,
00:24:53.850 --> 00:24:55.955
but I don't think that mass tourism
00:24:55.955 --> 00:24:59.040
and big scale project and the cable car
00:24:59.040 --> 00:25:01.500
will do any good for
them in the long-term.
00:25:01.500 --> 00:25:03.360
I think they can have a much better,
00:25:03.360 --> 00:25:05.850
much more sustainable, small scale,
00:25:05.850 --> 00:25:08.790
much more community-based tourism,
00:25:08.790 --> 00:25:11.610
and it will be of
best benefits for them,
00:25:11.610 --> 00:25:14.043
for the environment, for
the leadership as well.
00:25:15.360 --> 00:25:17.490
- [Greg] Back in 2014 when I got there,
00:25:17.490 --> 00:25:20.130
the town was just in its infancy
00:25:20.130 --> 00:25:21.600
and just starting to grow.
00:25:21.600 --> 00:25:23.610
There wasn't much going on.
00:25:23.610 --> 00:25:24.810
There was a lot of speculation
00:25:24.810 --> 00:25:26.250
about how things were gonna grow
00:25:26.250 --> 00:25:28.133
because of the discovery of Son Doong.
00:25:29.073 --> 00:25:32.040
- [Multi] Phong Nha has
exploded with tourism.
00:25:32.040 --> 00:25:34.050
Everyone is aspirational,
00:25:34.050 --> 00:25:36.660
and they all think
they're going to the top.
00:25:36.660 --> 00:25:40.350
So everyone on a bicycle
wants to be on a motorbike,
00:25:40.350 --> 00:25:43.290
everyone on a motorbike
wants to be in a car,
00:25:43.290 --> 00:25:46.620
and everyone in a car wants
to be in a helicopter.
00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:50.117
So, off we go to the future.
00:25:53.970 --> 00:25:55.350
- [Howard] As everybody's noticing now,
00:25:55.350 --> 00:25:57.213
there's massive changes in Phong Nha.
00:25:58.230 --> 00:25:59.820
It's mainly local development.
00:25:59.820 --> 00:26:03.450
It's not been big business
from outside coming in.
00:26:03.450 --> 00:26:05.550
Most of the buildings
that have been constructed
00:26:05.550 --> 00:26:07.380
in the last two or three years,
00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:09.390
they're fairly small and
they've not had the money
00:26:09.390 --> 00:26:12.697
to build very high
skyscraper accommodations.
00:26:12.697 --> 00:26:14.130
It's all low level.
00:26:14.130 --> 00:26:16.290
So things are developing.
00:26:16.290 --> 00:26:19.923
The downside of any development
is what happens to the town.
00:26:47.700 --> 00:26:50.400
- [Howard] Quang Binh Province
has changed dramatically
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:52.560
in the last few years.
00:26:52.560 --> 00:26:55.290
In 1990, we came down to Phong Nha
00:26:55.290 --> 00:26:57.690
after five days traveling from Hanoi.
00:26:57.690 --> 00:27:00.690
It was a hell of a journey,
a really rough journey.
00:27:00.690 --> 00:27:04.080
There were no sealed roads from
Hanoi to here, none at all.
00:27:04.080 --> 00:27:06.750
It took a day to get here from Dong Hoi,
00:27:06.750 --> 00:27:09.210
which now you can do in 40 minutes.
00:27:09.210 --> 00:27:11.400
And it was quite a shock
to see this place,
00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:13.740
because basically
there was nothing here.
00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:15.570
The people were incredibly poor,
00:27:15.570 --> 00:27:16.923
incredibly friendly people.
00:27:16.923 --> 00:27:19.830
They all came and see
us, amazingly friendly,
00:27:19.830 --> 00:27:21.663
but amazingly poor.
00:27:23.370 --> 00:27:24.960
Quang Binh Province, without any doubt,
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.303
was the poorest province in Vietnam.
00:27:28.230 --> 00:27:29.700
Most of the people lived on the river,
00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:31.500
and they were fishing people.
00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:33.180
They grew a little bit of rice,
00:27:33.180 --> 00:27:36.240
but that was their only
source of food, really.
00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:38.100
We didn't really understand the poverty
00:27:38.100 --> 00:27:40.050
that they were going under at that time.
00:27:40.050 --> 00:27:42.330
Very naive when we first came out here.
00:27:42.330 --> 00:27:43.470
We wondered why we were bringing
00:27:43.470 --> 00:27:45.180
all our own food from Hanoi.
00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:47.530
We didn't understand they
didn't have any food.
00:27:49.350 --> 00:27:52.170
The weeks that we arrived
and we worked here,
00:27:52.170 --> 00:27:54.720
there were about a thousand people died
00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:56.613
of malnutrition and malaria.
00:27:58.710 --> 00:28:01.020
There were lots and lots of bomb craters
00:28:01.020 --> 00:28:03.660
because this was completely destroyed,
00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:06.093
and I mean completely
destroyed, in the war.
00:28:07.770 --> 00:28:09.360
There was no standing building.
00:28:09.360 --> 00:28:12.600
Not one building was left after the war.
00:28:12.600 --> 00:28:16.290
So when we first came
in 1990, it was flat.
00:28:16.290 --> 00:28:18.930
The odd building was just
starting to be constructed
00:28:18.930 --> 00:28:20.010
in towns like Vinh,
00:28:20.010 --> 00:28:22.380
but it was just bomb craters and a mess.
00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:24.672
This was many, many years after the war,
00:28:24.672 --> 00:28:26.222
so there'd been no development.
00:28:27.450 --> 00:28:29.430
This was the area where
the Ho Chi Minh trail,
00:28:29.430 --> 00:28:31.380
the narrowest part in Vietnam,
00:28:31.380 --> 00:28:34.830
so it's the most bombed
area in the world.
00:28:34.830 --> 00:28:36.210
So more bombs were dropped here
00:28:36.210 --> 00:28:38.100
than anywhere else ever in the world,
00:28:38.100 --> 00:28:39.420
and so it just got murdered.
00:28:39.420 --> 00:28:42.857
In fact, all this area was
on fire the most of the war.
00:28:42.857 --> 00:28:46.050
(tense orchestral music)
(missiles swooshing)
00:28:46.050 --> 00:28:49.230
They had five major
excursions did the Americans
00:28:49.230 --> 00:28:50.550
a day, I've been told.
00:28:50.550 --> 00:28:52.530
From the aircraft carriers
out in the sea
00:28:52.530 --> 00:28:54.300
and from Thailand they came here,
00:28:54.300 --> 00:28:56.460
dropped bombs five times a day.
00:28:56.460 --> 00:29:00.510
So, the whole area used to
be called the fire mountains
00:29:00.510 --> 00:29:01.710
because they were always on fire.
00:29:01.710 --> 00:29:04.156
Everything was burning all the time.
00:29:04.156 --> 00:29:07.749
(missiles swooshing)
00:29:07.749 --> 00:29:11.126
(bombs exploding)
00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:20.010
Everything's new.
00:30:20.010 --> 00:30:21.120
Yeah, it's just boom!
00:30:21.120 --> 00:30:24.450
And then everyone just,
like, overwhelmed.
00:30:24.450 --> 00:30:27.810
It's like Vietnam in
the past after the war.
00:30:27.810 --> 00:30:31.890
Basically, we've been
through very rough time
00:30:31.890 --> 00:30:36.890
and then we have to start developing,
00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:40.410
but we don't have a lot of
the good direction, yeah?
00:30:40.410 --> 00:30:43.200
So we need to go that, go that, go that.
00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:46.620
And then we find, let's
see which way is good.
00:30:46.620 --> 00:30:50.580
I think the decision
now is very important.
00:30:50.580 --> 00:30:52.583
For example, the plan of Phong Nha
00:30:52.583 --> 00:30:54.960
in next 50 years, for example,
00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:56.640
the building, construction,
00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:59.040
that will make Phong Nha
look beautiful or shit.
00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:02.130
If the local people understood that,
00:31:02.130 --> 00:31:04.140
Phong Nha will keep the value it is.
00:31:04.140 --> 00:31:06.960
It's developed,
but it's a beautiful way,
00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:09.240
what is fitting to Phong Nha.
00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:12.300
Keep it original, keep it
something very Phong Nha,
00:31:12.300 --> 00:31:14.370
very unique in Vietnam.
00:31:14.370 --> 00:31:17.610
If we create that value, next 10 years
00:31:17.610 --> 00:31:20.043
Phong Nha gonna becoming
paradise for people.
00:31:21.360 --> 00:31:22.410
- [Howard] Phong Nha area now,
00:31:22.410 --> 00:31:24.930
there's more people visit caves here,
00:31:24.930 --> 00:31:26.940
both as an adventure tourism,
00:31:26.940 --> 00:31:28.200
than anywhere else in the world.
00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:31.320
More people are doing
adventure tours in caves here
00:31:31.320 --> 00:31:32.850
than anywhere else comfortably.
00:31:32.850 --> 00:31:35.460
These are not tourist caves
with lights and paths.
00:31:35.460 --> 00:31:38.190
These are proper multi-day adventures.
00:31:38.190 --> 00:31:42.300
- [Man] If we develop
it properly, naturally,
00:31:42.300 --> 00:31:44.580
it will attract a lot of people
00:31:44.580 --> 00:31:47.940
who really want to see
the natural beauty.
00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:49.110
- [Howard] It seems to be working
00:31:49.110 --> 00:31:52.350
the idea of setting up
these adventure tours
00:31:52.350 --> 00:31:53.910
to only limited people,
00:31:53.910 --> 00:31:56.490
preserve the cave, and
yet promote the cave.
00:31:56.490 --> 00:31:58.710
That's what's been a
very successful model
00:31:58.710 --> 00:32:01.170
and it's growing incredibly well.
00:32:01.170 --> 00:32:03.240
You've only got to walk
the streets of Phong Nha,
00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:05.580
which is full of foreign
tourist at the moment.
00:32:05.580 --> 00:32:07.620
It's really, really busy.
00:32:07.620 --> 00:32:09.240
- [Tourist] All right,
we have just arrived
00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:11.724
in the small town of Phong Nha.
00:32:11.724 --> 00:32:13.170
It's kind of a cute little town, huh?
00:32:13.170 --> 00:32:14.100
- It really is.
00:32:14.100 --> 00:32:15.600
- [JP] Hi, my name's JP.
00:32:15.600 --> 00:32:18.600
I'm in Phong Nha, Vietnam,
and I'm traveling the world.
00:32:18.600 --> 00:32:20.640
- [Tourist] It is absolutely beautiful.
00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:25.500
The people, the hats. (laughs)
00:32:25.500 --> 00:32:26.490
- [Multi] I love this place.
00:32:26.490 --> 00:32:28.048
I love everyone that's here.
00:32:28.048 --> 00:32:30.270
I love what they've got here.
00:32:30.270 --> 00:32:33.000
- [Denise] We're very
proud that everything
00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:34.350
has been locally owned.
00:32:34.350 --> 00:32:37.500
That's been a huge deal for Phong Nha.
00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:40.380
The local people saw opportunity.
00:32:40.380 --> 00:32:43.080
They joined forces as families
00:32:43.080 --> 00:32:45.660
and they started all
of these new endeavors,
00:32:45.660 --> 00:32:49.200
and I always thought that's
one of the biggest things
00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:52.170
that made Phong Nha so
unique and so special.
00:32:52.170 --> 00:32:54.300
- [JP] I mean, like, what?
00:32:54.300 --> 00:32:56.700
Where am I? (laughs)
00:32:56.700 --> 00:32:58.663
This is like paradise.
00:32:58.663 --> 00:33:00.951
Man! It's gorgeous.
00:33:00.951 --> 00:33:02.183
- [Small Boy] Hello!
00:33:02.183 --> 00:33:03.176
(tourist laughs)
00:33:03.176 --> 00:33:05.104
- [Tourist] You're so falling off.
00:33:05.104 --> 00:33:08.482
(uplifting music)
00:33:08.482 --> 00:33:11.565
(fireworks exploding)
00:33:13.290 --> 00:33:14.857
- [Denise] Things were going so well.
00:33:14.857 --> 00:33:17.250
Phong Nha was booming.
00:33:17.250 --> 00:33:21.870
It was busy, it was full
of energy and people
00:33:21.870 --> 00:33:26.250
and anticipation and hope
and big dreams.
00:33:26.250 --> 00:33:29.172
Everyone had big dreams.
00:33:29.172 --> 00:33:32.922
(uplifting orchestral music)
00:33:35.808 --> 00:33:38.558
(birds chirping)
00:33:47.250 --> 00:33:48.083
- [Man] In Phong Nha town,
00:33:48.083 --> 00:33:51.993
I think at least 90% business,
they close.
00:33:54.090 --> 00:33:55.473
They have no choice.
00:33:58.230 --> 00:34:00.270
So now, we blocked the border.
00:34:00.270 --> 00:34:02.520
So now, no more tourists.
00:34:02.520 --> 00:34:03.990
No customer.
00:34:03.990 --> 00:34:06.390
So they have to close
and find other solution,
00:34:06.390 --> 00:34:07.413
other jobs.
00:34:10.230 --> 00:34:11.760
- [Man] It's really difficult time.
00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:13.713
It's really tough for local.
00:34:15.270 --> 00:34:17.883
A lot of business owners,
they're very scared.
00:34:19.560 --> 00:34:23.160
Phong Nha people rely on tourism,
00:34:23.160 --> 00:34:27.063
and when the tourism is dead,
it's obviously they just...
00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:31.113
Yeah, very stressful.
00:34:32.640 --> 00:34:33.510
- [Man] A lot of business,
00:34:33.510 --> 00:34:35.430
they borrow money from the bank.
00:34:35.430 --> 00:34:40.020
And now COVID came for three times.
00:34:40.020 --> 00:34:42.060
So, bankrupt.
00:34:42.060 --> 00:34:44.763
Some of them, they sell their business.
00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:48.698
Some they gotta sell quite cheaply.
00:34:48.698 --> 00:34:51.197
They have no choice now.
00:34:51.197 --> 00:34:52.597
Too much money from the bank.
00:35:45.266 --> 00:35:46.890
- [Multi] We're building a homestay,
00:35:46.890 --> 00:35:51.570
and my wife's putting steel
inside the concrete columns.
00:35:51.570 --> 00:35:53.310
And I'm like, "What's this for?"
00:35:53.310 --> 00:35:56.700
She said, "Oh, this is to make
the building last forever."
00:35:56.700 --> 00:35:58.410
I said, "But our daughter's gonna have
00:35:58.410 --> 00:36:00.270
to knock this down soon."
00:36:00.270 --> 00:36:02.250
And she went, "What for?"
00:36:02.250 --> 00:36:04.320
I said, "Maybe a shopping center.
00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:06.360
Maybe a heliport.
00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:08.520
Maybe a cable car."
00:36:08.520 --> 00:36:10.410
And my wife said, "Oh, don't be silly,
00:36:10.410 --> 00:36:12.300
that won't happen."
00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:15.660
And I said, "You standing
here looking at villas
00:36:15.660 --> 00:36:18.990
and a swimming pool
in your banana field."
00:36:18.990 --> 00:36:20.250
I said, "When you were a kid,
00:36:20.250 --> 00:36:23.070
did you think this would be here?"
00:36:23.070 --> 00:36:26.850
She went, "Oh yeah, I
can see what you mean."
00:36:26.850 --> 00:36:28.200
People say to me, "Hey, Multi,
00:36:28.200 --> 00:36:30.090
you were here when tourism started.
00:36:30.090 --> 00:36:32.610
You should take credit for this."
00:36:32.610 --> 00:36:34.560
I don't wanna take credit for tourism
00:36:34.560 --> 00:36:36.720
because if I have to take the credit,
00:36:36.720 --> 00:36:38.190
then I have to take the blame
00:36:38.190 --> 00:36:41.340
for any bad stuff that happens.
00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:44.820
Phong Nha in 10 years, there'll
be a Mung Tang restaurant,
00:36:44.820 --> 00:36:48.180
there'll be a casino,
there'll be golf courses.
00:36:48.180 --> 00:36:51.060
The whole place will be
great and prosperous.
00:36:51.060 --> 00:36:55.050
And in the big picture,
that's a good thing.
00:36:55.050 --> 00:36:57.180
There's always gonna be the money there.
00:36:57.180 --> 00:36:59.730
But what I'm worried about is the locals
00:36:59.730 --> 00:37:01.563
that are gonna suffer from it.
00:37:02.730 --> 00:37:05.250
These people aren't gonna benefit.
00:37:05.250 --> 00:37:07.560
These people are gonna
sell their properties
00:37:07.560 --> 00:37:09.450
for twice what they're worth,
00:37:09.450 --> 00:37:12.120
and then in three years
when their property's
00:37:12.120 --> 00:37:14.670
worth 30 times as much,
00:37:14.670 --> 00:37:17.087
they're not gonna be that happy.
00:37:17.087 --> 00:37:19.670
(gentle music)
00:37:27.150 --> 00:37:29.820
- [Huong] In the middle of 2020,
00:37:29.820 --> 00:37:32.040
when people started to
talk about the new normal,
00:37:32.040 --> 00:37:33.033
the new normal,
00:37:34.020 --> 00:37:37.110
it would be very sad if the new normal
00:37:37.110 --> 00:37:41.040
is where they continue, or even more so,
00:37:41.040 --> 00:37:45.483
prioritize economic benefits
over environmental impacts.
00:37:47.040 --> 00:37:52.040
So, to me, a good new normal is actually
00:37:52.140 --> 00:37:54.570
what Phong Nha has already been doing
00:37:54.570 --> 00:37:56.460
in the last five, six years,
00:37:56.460 --> 00:37:59.070
that other provinces in
Vietnam are not doing.
00:37:59.070 --> 00:38:02.070
And I hope that the people
in charge in Quang Binh
00:38:02.070 --> 00:38:05.283
can see that, and can stick to that.
00:38:06.570 --> 00:38:08.820
I did, and I still do, sometimes have
00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:10.860
that very strong sense of guilt
00:38:10.860 --> 00:38:13.470
that inspired me to start Save
Son Doong at the beginning,
00:38:13.470 --> 00:38:17.400
sometime came back haunting
me as a question of,
00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:20.040
what am I doing to the poor people
00:38:20.040 --> 00:38:22.980
that could very much
benefit from mass tourism?
00:38:22.980 --> 00:38:27.600
Because it is impossible for
me to ask people to starve
00:38:27.600 --> 00:38:30.500
while they know that they're
sitting on a hidden treasure.
00:38:31.470 --> 00:38:33.690
It's unfair for people.
00:38:33.690 --> 00:38:34.950
It's easy for me to say,
00:38:34.950 --> 00:38:37.440
because I grew up in a
privileged background.
00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:40.890
I don't have to worry about
my next meal every day.
00:38:40.890 --> 00:38:42.810
But for those people who do,
00:38:42.810 --> 00:38:46.140
I cannot ask them to go sit and wait
00:38:46.140 --> 00:38:49.503
for the benefits of 10 years,
a hundred years from now.
00:38:51.060 --> 00:38:53.430
- [Huy] When the big
companies decide to invest
00:38:53.430 --> 00:38:54.870
into local community,
00:38:54.870 --> 00:38:58.860
the reason why the local
officers always welcomes
00:38:58.860 --> 00:39:00.840
is because they see the potential
00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:03.840
for their people to be richer.
00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:06.690
As a tourist, we love to enjoy nature.
00:39:06.690 --> 00:39:10.140
But looking from the local
people point of view,
00:39:10.140 --> 00:39:14.610
if there's no industry
for them to make money,
00:39:14.610 --> 00:39:18.420
to earn a living and
for them to get richer,
00:39:18.420 --> 00:39:20.170
for their children to go to school,
00:39:21.630 --> 00:39:23.223
then it's not fair for them.
00:39:24.660 --> 00:39:29.340
So tourism sometime is a sacrifice.
00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:50.100
- [Man] Bringing a cable
car into the national park,
00:39:50.100 --> 00:39:52.890
it's not a bad idea if you
know how to control that.
00:39:52.890 --> 00:39:55.410
A lot of people, they cannot
walk into a national park,
00:39:55.410 --> 00:39:56.730
they cannot go hiking,
00:39:56.730 --> 00:39:59.580
but they still can see the
national park from the sky.
00:39:59.580 --> 00:40:01.200
Sooner or later it's gonna happen.
00:40:01.200 --> 00:40:02.760
It's a good chance for the local people
00:40:02.760 --> 00:40:05.040
and it's a good chance for
Quang Binh and for Phong Nha
00:40:05.040 --> 00:40:06.653
to show the world that
we have everything.
00:40:06.653 --> 00:40:08.520
We have the largest cave,
00:40:08.520 --> 00:40:11.867
we have a big cave system here
and we even have cable car,
00:40:11.867 --> 00:40:15.180
so we have different
option for people to come.
00:40:15.180 --> 00:40:17.400
- [Jonathan] Humankind, as
soon as they discover something
00:40:17.400 --> 00:40:19.530
on the Earth that's
unique and wonderful,
00:40:19.530 --> 00:40:20.970
they will desecrate it.
00:40:20.970 --> 00:40:23.490
We have a terrible track
record of acknowledging,
00:40:23.490 --> 00:40:25.200
respecting, and preserving.
00:40:25.200 --> 00:40:26.190
It's one thing to watch
00:40:26.190 --> 00:40:28.530
the imperial sites of China
get trampled,
00:40:28.530 --> 00:40:29.880
but it's another thing altogether
00:40:29.880 --> 00:40:32.850
to watch a natural wonder that
took millions and millions
00:40:32.850 --> 00:40:34.110
of years to develop.
00:40:34.110 --> 00:40:35.760
And part of that is you have to have
00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:37.920
exclusivity to have sanctuary.
00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.020
The cave needs to be a sanctuary,
00:40:40.020 --> 00:40:42.030
but then that means you gotta limit,
00:40:42.030 --> 00:40:44.580
and the way things
get limited is by cost.
00:40:44.580 --> 00:40:46.477
- [Huong] The whole idea
that I'm pushing for is
00:40:46.477 --> 00:40:48.900
Son Doong is not a place
for mass tourism.
00:40:48.900 --> 00:40:52.680
So it is a place for a limited
number of people to go to.
00:40:52.680 --> 00:40:56.190
Now, who gets to go
is the next question,
00:40:56.190 --> 00:40:58.350
and right now one of
the biggest filters
00:40:58.350 --> 00:41:00.030
is financial ability,
00:41:00.030 --> 00:41:03.150
who can pay $3,000 for a four day trip.
00:41:03.150 --> 00:41:06.810
Given that the average income
of a Vietnamese citizen
00:41:06.810 --> 00:41:09.930
is about $6,500 a year,
00:41:09.930 --> 00:41:12.060
$3,000 is a lot.
00:41:12.060 --> 00:41:15.240
- [Multi] If you're looking at it
from an environmental perspective,
00:41:15.240 --> 00:41:17.190
yeah, okay, save Son Doong.
00:41:17.190 --> 00:41:18.063
Yes.
00:41:19.140 --> 00:41:20.490
Put a cage over the front of it.
00:41:20.490 --> 00:41:21.450
Don't walk in there.
00:41:21.450 --> 00:41:23.310
Save Son Doong.
00:41:23.310 --> 00:41:25.920
Limiting the people that go in there
00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:28.293
to the rich and famous?
00:41:29.790 --> 00:41:32.460
No, that's not saving Son Doong.
00:41:32.460 --> 00:41:36.660
That's saving Son Doong for
those that can afford it.
00:41:36.660 --> 00:41:40.950
- [Huong] Not everybody going
there was to go to Son Doong.
00:41:40.950 --> 00:41:43.680
Thanks to Son Doong,
all the caves in this area
00:41:43.680 --> 00:41:45.570
got a lot more popularity,
00:41:45.570 --> 00:41:47.640
which I don't think
they would be able to do
00:41:47.640 --> 00:41:49.140
without the story of Son Doong.
00:41:49.140 --> 00:41:52.080
Yes, people can get rich
overnight really fast,
00:41:52.080 --> 00:41:53.580
but that's not gonna last.
00:41:53.580 --> 00:41:56.580
And we've seen this over
and over and over in Vietnam,
00:41:56.580 --> 00:41:57.810
and I don't want the same thing
00:41:57.810 --> 00:41:59.557
to repeat in Phong Nha.
00:41:59.557 --> 00:42:01.380
Phong Nha is a small village.
00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:04.590
All these villagers are
literally brothers and cousins
00:42:04.590 --> 00:42:08.490
and uncles and aunties
and sisters to each other.
00:42:08.490 --> 00:42:11.520
If you're talking to the poorest people,
00:42:11.520 --> 00:42:15.180
it makes sense why they would
be excited for this project
00:42:15.180 --> 00:42:17.700
in which big companies
are promising them
00:42:17.700 --> 00:42:20.250
lots and lots of money,
lots and lots of tourists.
00:42:20.250 --> 00:42:21.450
But for those who are luckier
00:42:21.450 --> 00:42:23.520
and have access to higher education,
00:42:23.520 --> 00:42:26.340
they understand that
when big companies come,
00:42:26.340 --> 00:42:28.500
the majority of the profit
would go to the pocket
00:42:28.500 --> 00:42:31.260
of these big companies,
and they in return
00:42:31.260 --> 00:42:34.560
would just become
construction workers, et cetera.
00:42:34.560 --> 00:42:38.070
But if we support
small local businesses,
00:42:38.070 --> 00:42:41.700
then we can actually create
permanent employment.
00:42:41.700 --> 00:42:45.360
Local businesses, founded
and run by local people,
00:42:45.360 --> 00:42:48.150
would be the best turn
to empower people,
00:42:48.150 --> 00:42:50.250
because these local companies
00:42:50.250 --> 00:42:53.310
have the best interest of
the community at heart.
00:42:53.310 --> 00:42:55.890
- [Jonathan] Oxalis is...
The guy that owns it
00:42:55.890 --> 00:42:57.810
is an interesting character.
00:42:57.810 --> 00:43:00.540
He didn't really get into
Oxalis in the cave and all that
00:43:00.540 --> 00:43:01.950
because he wanted to make money.
00:43:01.950 --> 00:43:03.000
He'd already made money.
00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:05.610
And now they're throwing
off revenue and profits
00:43:05.610 --> 00:43:08.490
and they're using those
profits to support schools.
00:43:08.490 --> 00:43:09.600
That's fabulous.
00:43:09.600 --> 00:43:10.620
That's very important.
00:43:10.620 --> 00:43:12.780
Now you have a full cycle.
00:43:12.780 --> 00:43:15.930
The commerciality is
returning to the community
00:43:15.930 --> 00:43:18.090
instead of going to China.
00:43:18.090 --> 00:43:19.800
You know, that's very important.
00:43:19.800 --> 00:43:21.480
If they could keep that loop going
00:43:21.480 --> 00:43:23.070
throughout Phong Nha,
00:43:23.070 --> 00:43:26.460
if that concept could sustain that area,
00:43:26.460 --> 00:43:28.770
which it won't, but if it could,
00:43:28.770 --> 00:43:31.510
they'd have a chance of
really creating something
00:43:32.970 --> 00:43:34.950
that on the human level is remarkable,
00:43:34.950 --> 00:43:36.960
as well as associating it
00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:38.760
with the remarkable natural wonder.
00:43:38.760 --> 00:43:39.810
- [Interviewer] You say it won't,
00:43:39.810 --> 00:43:42.600
but why don't you think
that's sustainable?
00:43:42.600 --> 00:43:46.740
- [Jonathan] Because there's
too much at stake, you know.
00:43:46.740 --> 00:43:49.950
And there will be big
players that'll step in.
00:43:49.950 --> 00:43:51.600
Just imagine if the Grand Canyon
00:43:51.600 --> 00:43:53.640
was just discovered this week,
00:43:53.640 --> 00:43:57.090
and it didn't belong to anyone.
00:43:57.090 --> 00:43:59.100
And there was a government
that controlled it,
00:43:59.100 --> 00:44:02.400
but they were under the
influence of a lot of forces.
00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:05.230
And then people realized
that this is gonna become
00:44:06.780 --> 00:44:09.183
a major global tourist attraction.
00:44:10.260 --> 00:44:11.730
How would that go?
00:44:11.730 --> 00:44:12.870
It wouldn't go well.
00:44:12.870 --> 00:44:15.060
So I don't have much hope
that they're suddenly
00:44:15.060 --> 00:44:18.150
gonna wake up and figure
out how to develop Phong Nha
00:44:18.150 --> 00:44:23.150
in a way that preserves the charm.
00:44:23.760 --> 00:44:26.460
It'll just get trampled for money,
00:44:26.460 --> 00:44:28.143
and that's just the way it is.
00:44:30.637 --> 00:44:33.387
(poignant music)
00:44:39.210 --> 00:44:43.320
- [Huong] Sometimes I get this
really weird conflict within myself
00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:46.260
after I discover a beautiful place.
00:44:46.260 --> 00:44:47.580
Should I tell people about it?
00:44:47.580 --> 00:44:49.020
Should I not tell people about it?
00:44:49.020 --> 00:44:51.420
It may sound conflicting,
00:44:51.420 --> 00:44:54.030
but as an educator myself,
00:44:54.030 --> 00:44:56.250
I don't believe in the idea
00:44:56.250 --> 00:44:59.400
of hiding information from people.
00:44:59.400 --> 00:45:02.010
People should know about
beautiful places in their country.
00:45:02.010 --> 00:45:03.810
People should feel proud.
00:45:03.810 --> 00:45:06.750
And hopefully that pride
will be what motivates them
00:45:06.750 --> 00:45:09.270
to protect those places.
00:45:09.270 --> 00:45:11.880
I actually dislike the fact
that Son Doong
00:45:11.880 --> 00:45:15.810
is always advertised as
the world's largest cave.
00:45:15.810 --> 00:45:16.830
Yes, it is true,
00:45:16.830 --> 00:45:18.480
it is the world's largest cave.
00:45:18.480 --> 00:45:20.520
And that title is probably what attracts
00:45:20.520 --> 00:45:22.800
a lot of people to this place.
00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:24.630
But I think Son Doong deserves
00:45:24.630 --> 00:45:27.330
so much more recognition than that.
00:45:27.330 --> 00:45:30.510
Me, myself, I went to Son
Doong because of the fact that
00:45:30.510 --> 00:45:33.450
it was so isolated from
the outside world
00:45:33.450 --> 00:45:36.660
and its pristine charm
has been preserved
00:45:36.660 --> 00:45:38.673
through millions of years.
00:45:39.914 --> 00:45:43.680
Son Doong is beautiful
because of its ecosystem.
00:45:43.680 --> 00:45:46.620
Inside this cave, there are two jungles,
00:45:46.620 --> 00:45:48.330
two rivers, one waterfall.
00:45:48.330 --> 00:45:51.030
They have even fog inside the cave
00:45:51.030 --> 00:45:54.480
that makes you sometimes
forget that you're underground.
00:45:54.480 --> 00:45:57.000
Now imagine the same cave,
00:45:57.000 --> 00:46:01.200
but without the living
ecosystem inside Son Doong.
00:46:01.200 --> 00:46:03.030
Would it be beautiful, or just gonna be
00:46:03.030 --> 00:46:04.740
the world's largest hole?
00:46:04.740 --> 00:46:08.681
An empty chamber with
no habitats, nothing?
00:46:08.681 --> 00:46:09.630
It's dead.
00:46:09.630 --> 00:46:12.180
It's gonna be very boring
if you're just gonna walk
00:46:12.180 --> 00:46:15.153
through a hole for like three,
four, five, six, seven days.
00:46:16.320 --> 00:46:21.030
So Son Doong deserves some
time for us to study and admire
00:46:21.030 --> 00:46:25.672
before we let human beings
in and destroy everything.
00:46:30.561 --> 00:46:33.310
(car horns)
00:46:33.310 --> 00:46:35.310
- [Huy] The interesting
thing of living in Vietnam
00:46:35.310 --> 00:46:37.440
is that it grow every day.
00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:38.430
It grow every day.
00:46:38.430 --> 00:46:40.380
And throughout the history,
00:46:40.380 --> 00:46:42.090
you can see that Vietnamese people
00:46:42.090 --> 00:46:45.300
always find a way to make progress.
00:46:45.300 --> 00:46:47.190
We can never stay the same.
00:46:47.190 --> 00:46:52.110
Everyone want big things and
good things for this country,
00:46:52.110 --> 00:46:55.043
but sometime because of the aspiration
00:46:55.043 --> 00:46:56.785
we...we...
00:46:56.785 --> 00:47:01.261
we push things forward
without looking back.
00:47:01.261 --> 00:47:04.040
If one day we forget to look back
00:47:04.040 --> 00:47:05.850
and just keep moving forward,
00:47:05.850 --> 00:47:06.870
it's too late.
00:47:06.870 --> 00:47:08.220
It's too late to look back.
00:47:08.220 --> 00:47:11.040
It too late to recall what we have.
00:47:11.040 --> 00:47:13.740
So, that's a question
that we have to ask
00:47:13.740 --> 00:47:17.550
every times we consider a new
construction, a new project.
00:47:17.550 --> 00:47:20.560
We have to balance between
the benefit for people
00:47:21.660 --> 00:47:24.467
and the benefit for future people.
00:47:26.222 --> 00:47:28.805
(rain pouring)
00:47:47.834 --> 00:47:50.417
(solemn music)
00:48:07.944 --> 00:48:11.361
(music continues)
00:48:18.360 --> 00:48:21.693
(soft orchestral music)
00:48:38.427 --> 00:48:41.844
(uplifting orchestral music)
00:48:58.466 --> 00:49:01.383
(music continues)
00:49:18.557 --> 00:49:22.307
(orchestral music)
00:49:30.224 --> 00:49:31.906
- [Man] What's your answer?
00:49:31.906 --> 00:49:35.405
- Yay! (laughs)
00:49:35.405 --> 00:49:40.102
(indistinct chatter)
00:49:40.102 --> 00:49:45.102
(orchestral music)
(birds chirping)
00:50:00.166 --> 00:50:03.916
(music continues)
00:50:13.613 --> 00:50:16.363
(birds chirping)
00:50:20.176 --> 00:50:23.926
(music continues)
00:50:47.630 --> 00:50:50.963
(gentle acoustic music)
00:50:57.700 --> 00:51:00.240
- [Giang] Well, the good sign,
at least few years ago,
00:51:00.240 --> 00:51:02.100
the national government announced that.
00:51:02.100 --> 00:51:05.085
But we are very cautious.
00:51:05.085 --> 00:51:09.180
There's nothing who
held them accountable
00:51:09.180 --> 00:51:10.350
for that statement.
00:51:10.350 --> 00:51:12.180
Government comes and go.
00:51:12.180 --> 00:51:13.884
So now we got a new government.
00:51:13.884 --> 00:51:17.970
They all can have a
different thought on that, right?
00:51:17.970 --> 00:51:18.937
They can turn around and say,
00:51:18.937 --> 00:51:21.210
"Hey look, but things change.
00:51:21.210 --> 00:51:24.120
Now we need to rethink our priority
00:51:24.120 --> 00:51:26.370
and this is what we should do now."
00:51:26.370 --> 00:51:30.303
So that number, 10 years,
is just a symbolic number.
00:51:31.200 --> 00:51:35.910
It says that they are not
ready to do that right now,
00:51:35.910 --> 00:51:37.710
but it doesn't mean that they will not
00:51:37.710 --> 00:51:39.690
try it again in the future.
00:51:39.690 --> 00:51:41.340
- [Huong] We're keeping
our finger crossed
00:51:41.340 --> 00:51:46.340
that the side that leaning
towards conservation is winning.
00:51:46.410 --> 00:51:50.190
But then again, they always
say "as off right now".
00:51:50.190 --> 00:51:54.999
Even though UNESCO did ask
them to cancel all plan,
00:51:55.710 --> 00:52:00.330
all cable car plans to
Son Doong permanently,
00:52:00.330 --> 00:52:01.980
they have never said, "permanently."
00:52:01.980 --> 00:52:03.007
They always give a time, like,
00:52:03.007 --> 00:52:07.110
"Oh, until 2030," or "as of right now."
00:52:07.110 --> 00:52:12.110
So, I still believe that this
is an ongoing campaign for us.
00:52:12.904 --> 00:52:17.010
(gentle acoustic music)
00:52:17.010 --> 00:52:21.427
(singing in Vietnamese)
00:52:46.353 --> 00:52:49.686
(gentle acoustic music)
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 53 minutes
Date: 2022
Genre: Expository
Language: English; Vietnamese
Grade: 7-12, College, Adults
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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