Excavation For Luxury Building In South Korean City Reveals 500-Million-Year-Old Underground Cave With Over 1.5 Km Of Galleries, Giant Formations, And Rare Bats

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 05/02/2026 at 13:13

Updated on 05/02/2026 at 13:14

Imagem: Ilustração artística

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Accidental Discovery Revealed a Cave of Limestone with Millions of Years, Rare Bats, Illuminated Walkways, and Educational Park in the Heart of the Urban Center

On a cold day, those walking the narrow trails between residential buildings in Donghae, South Korea, hardly imagine that just below the concrete and everyday hustle and bustle lies a universe shaped over hundreds of millions of years.

Amid an apparently ordinary urban landscape, a discreet entrance leads to an underground scene that blends mystery, science, and preservation, revealing how nature and the city can coexist in a surprising way.

Discovered by chance in 1991 during excavations for a luxury apartment building, the Cheongok Cave quickly became a source of fascination.

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A Subterranean Treasure in the Heart of the Urban Center

Known as the Cheongok Golden Bat Cave, it is the only limestone cave in Korea located right in the heart of an urban area.

It is estimated that its formation occurred between the Cambrian and Ordovician periods, around 400 to 500 million years ago.

Currently, 810 meters are open to visitation while the other 700 meters remain closed to ensure the survival of the golden bat.

This species with vibrant orange fur is extremely rare and protected as a Natural Monument, as well as being classified as endangered.

The division between accessible and restricted areas reflects the effort to balance tourism and conservation.

Legendary Cave: Forms Carved by Time

Walking through the internal walkways, visitors find stalactites hanging from the ceiling like delicate stone pendants, illuminated by lights that enhance their contours.

On the ground, stalagmites slowly rise, and at various points, they connect with the upper formations, creating robust columns that resemble natural pillars.

Another highlight is the fissures shaped by the flow of water over millions of years, considered the largest ever recorded in the country. Each detail reinforces the feeling of being in the presence of a living space, constantly changing.

Environmental Education and Contact with Nature

In addition to the cave, the complex houses the Nature Learning Experience Park. There, visitors walk the “Doline” trail, which features funnel-shaped formations in the ground, and learn about the Wildflower Park, which brings together more than 100 species of plants.

This set has become a pedagogical reference for the study of regional geography and botany.

The cave operates year-round, from 8:30 AM to 6 PM, with easy access via public transport, as several bus lines stop a three-minute walk from the entrance.

The presence of this geological relic amid modern housing reinforces how environmental preservation can go hand in hand with urban development, without one negating the other.

With information from Diário do Litoral.

Excavation For Luxury Building In South Korean City Reveals 500-Million-Year-Old Underground Cave With Over 1.5 Km Of Galleries, Giant Formations, And Rare Bats

Accidental Discovery Revealed a Cave of Limestone with Millions of Years, Rare Bats, Illuminated Walkways, and Educational Park in the Heart of the Urban Center

A Subterranean Treasure in the Heart of the Urban Center

Legendary Cave: Forms Carved by Time

Environmental Education and Contact with Nature

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Excavation For Luxury Building In South Korean City Reveals 500-Million-Year-Old Underground Cave With Over 1.5 Km Of Galleries, Giant Formations, And Rare Bats

Accidental Discovery Revealed a Cave of Limestone with Millions of Years, Rare Bats, Illuminated Walkways, and Educational Park in the Heart of the Urban Center

A Subterranean Treasure in the Heart of the Urban Center

Legendary Cave: Forms Carved by Time

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