Military Hospital Cave

Military Hospital cave in Cat Ba island, built in the American war has become the pride of Vietnam Military Medicine. Today, the hospital is no longer there, but the historical value of the cave still remains. Furthermore, there are traces of a historic time.

Located about 15km from centre of Cat Ba town, Military Hospital cave is built in the area of Tran Chau ward, belongs to Catba National Park, exit from the cave is on the other side of the mountain with a sloping path surrounded by trees. The cave was built with special structure with limestone powder and quartz formed by coastal sediments plus sparkling stalactites of natural shapes, creating misterious and romantic space.

Previously the cave was named Hung Son after a general of Tran Dynasty who fought in the historic Bach Dang battle and who discovered the cave. In American War, around 1960s the cave was built into a hospital for wounded soldiers and sheltering place to stay away from bombings for local people as well as people from nearby Bach Long Vy island, the hospital was able to host 100 patients. In addition to 17 function rooms there are also swimming pools, cinema and a gymnasium. After the war time local people still came here in typhoons as a shelter.

Military Hospital cave is really a master piece of the war time, because the construction was completely built inside the mountain, a makeshift hospital built in the cave with a capacity to treat up to 100 peope. The construction is about 120m above the sea level with the main entrance facing Khe Sau valley, the hospital is an ideal place for rehabilitation. The hospital was built with assistance from Chinese construction experts.