Exhibition links the caves of the Yorkshire Dales and Vietnam

A new exhibition at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes is drawing fascinating parallels between the Yorkshire Dales National Park and a landscape more than 6,000 miles away — Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam.

Titled Underground Worlds – Caves of the Yorkshire Dales and Vietnam, the exhibition explores how both national parks share vast areas of limestone and boast some of the world’s largest and longest cave systems.

It celebrates 35 years of exploration and cooperation between British and Vietnamese cavers, and will run until January 4.

The display features striking photography and video footage of cavers at work underground in both countries, showcasing the beauty and scale of these subterranean worlds.

Opening the exhibition, Derek Twine, Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “Caves are one of the hidden special qualities of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. We might be 6,000 miles apart, but we’ve been learning from each other.

“Phong Nha-Ke Bang is probably the best-preserved limestone cave system in the world, while the Yorkshire Dales has the longest in Britain.”

The relationship between the two parks grew from a cooperation agreement signed in January 2024, formalising decades of friendship that began when British cavers Howard and Deb Limbert led expeditions in Vietnam in 1990 — uncovering some of the planet’s most spectacular caverns.

Visitors from Vietnam attended the launch, including Mr Dinh Huy Tri, Deputy Director of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Management Board, who said the exhibition “beautifully presents the history, conservation values and people of both national parks.”

Ms Nguyen Ha Dung, Deputy General Director of Oxalis Adventure, added: “It’s a moving experience to be here. We are so grateful to the British cavers who explored Vietnam and helped us develop sustainable tourism.”

For those inspired to explore closer to home, the Yorkshire Dales National Park offers three show caves open to the public — Ingleborough Cave near Clapham, Stump Cross Caverns near Greenhow and White Scar Cave near Ingleton — along with local clubs for those seeking more adventurous underground exploration.