Cango Caves – an Underground Wonderland Van Zyl’s hall

There are innumerable dripstone formations in the main chambers and ante – chambers. The first great chamber is called Van Zyl’s hall, after its discoverer. This mammoth chamber contains not only a variety of dripstone formations like Cleopatra’s Needle (9 metres high and at least 150 000 years old), but also a beautiful dark gray roof, which is smoothly sculptured into hollows and pendants, contrasts strongly with the yellow of the softer limestone witch forms the walls.