Since the 19th century, Da Nang has been an important port in central Vietnam, taking over Hoi An, which is further out.
Home to one of the largest American military bases during the Vietnam War, Da Nang saw some of the heaviest fighting of the entire war!Our Da Nang Destination Guide below and our and Da Nang Tour Suggestions will tell you all you need to know about the best places to visit in Da Nang. Check out our Vietnam Destination Guide for more general things to see & do in Vietnam. For tips on how to get around in Da Nang, read our Da Nang Transportation Guide.
Things to See & Do in Danang
China Beach was best known as an Eden-like respite from the hell of combat. During the Vietnam War, thousands of American G.I.s spent their leave surfing the 30-kilometre golden beach near the central coastal city of Da Nang. Years later, millions of television viewers tuned in to the acclaimed 1980s television drama 'China Beach', based on the famed U.S. Army R&R base.
Da Nang officials would like to cash in on the mystique of China Beach, or My Khe as it is called locally, by positioning the area as an escape from modern-day stress. The locale already has some touristy infrastructure in place: a beautiful beachfront, the nearby Marble Mountains, the Tony Furama Resort and a Cham historical museum. Still, gritty Da Nang tends to be passed over by foreigners in favor of the nearby coastal cities of Hoi An and Hue. The latter 's tourist industry is growing at twice the rate of Da Nang 's.
The local government thinks it knows why: too many aggressive beggars on China Beach. The Da Nang People 's Committee has launched a campaign urging residents to rat out any panhandlers they see, even setting up a 24-hour telephone hot line for snitching. Drop a dime about a raggedy man begging for change anywhere in the city and gain a reward of 200,000 dong (about $13). "Beggars are impolite, an annoyance to visitors," says Nguyen Hung Hiep, head of the Da Nang Social Benefit Bureau. "We want to keep our city beautiful and civilised."
Hiep says the hot line has logged 50 calls since January, resulting in 37 panhandlers being sent to rehabilitation centers for job training. But the homeless are adapting to the heat. They 've started dressing better, disguising themselves as legitimate postcard sellers or even Buddhist monks. Many, however, have got the message, Hiep says, and have moved elsewhere. It remains to be seen whether foreigners will invade once again now that the panhandlers have lost their paradise at China Beach.
Marble Mountains is made up of five stone hills that were once islands and each filled with its own caves and grottoes. Some of the marble was carved into pagodas and shrines. Each hill represents one of the five elements of the universe, being water, wood, fire, metal and earth.
Both the Vietnamese and the Cham, the former rulers, used these mountains to build their shrines of which the biggest hill, Thuy Son, is the most popular.
Hai Van Pass
This was the ancient boundary between Vietnam and the Champa kingdom during the 15th century. It is a mountainous area and travelling along Highway 1 will bring you to an elevation of 500m with some breath-taking views of the surrounding countryside.
My Son was the site of the Cham civilisation 's intellectual and religious center and as of 2000 was declared an UNESCO World Heritage site. This region is set in a valley surrounded by hills and became a religious center under King Bhadravarman in the late 4th century. Most of the temples are dedicated to Cham Kings who were considered to be associated with divinities, especially Shiva, showing the extent of Indian influence in the region.
The Dien Hai Citadel was formerly known as Dien Hai Fortress built in 1813 in the 12th year of Gia Long 's reign by Da Nang 's river. It was renamed in 1835, the 15th year of Minh Mang 's reign, after it was moved inland and rebuilt in brick on a high mound in 1832, the 4th year of Minh Mang 's reign.
In 1840 the Deputy Minister of Labor Nguyen Cong Tru inspected the defenses of Da Nang and commanded a more powerful system for Dien Hai and An Hai citadel.
In 1847 the 7th of Thieu Tri 's reign the perimeter of Dien Hai was expanded to 556 m with a wall five m high surrounded by a ditch 3m deep. The citadel was designed with two gates, the main one opening to the south and the other to the east. Inside, there were Hanh Cung (the royal step-over place), Ky Dai (high pole platform), a storehouse for food and ammunition and 30 large canon emplacement.
The citadel was built in brick in the square Vauban style of architecture. Dien Hai citadel bears the stamp of the tradition of the struggle of the people of Da Nang and the nation in the persistent war against the French colonialists to protect national independence and territory. It made an important contribution to the defeat of French invaders in Da Nang in 1858-1860.
Dien Hai citadel was classified as a national historical relic by the Ministry of Culture and Communications on 16 November 1998 and a stele was erected on 25 August 1998.
Non Nuoc Beach runs for 5 km along the Marble Mountain in Da Nang. It is bordered by Dien Ngoc Sea to the south and Da Nang to the north. The beach gently slopes towards the calm, clear and blue ocean; the clarity of the water attracts people who come to swim and enjoy the seafood. The area is famous for seaweed, which is exported internationally. Many five-star hotels have been built in Non Nuoc to accommodate both domestic and foreign tourists.
Linh Ung Pagoda
Situated in the Hoa Hai Commune of Hoa Vang Distrist, the Linh Ung Pagoda is approximately 8 km from the centre of Da Nang, and overlooks the South China Sea. Tang Chon Cave is also in the vicinity. The pagoda, which was built in the 18th century, has been renovated many times since. Precious documents concerning the history of the pagoda are safety kept inside.
Cham Museum
The Cham museum is located at the intersection of Trung Nu Vuong and Bach Dang streets in Da Nang. It was built in 1915 with financial support from the French Far-East Research Institute in Vietnam.
This museum owns the most extensive collection of Cham art in the world. In the past, the capital of the Champa nation was located in present-day Da Nang. Other famous sites include Tra Kieu, Dong Duong, My Son and Thap Man. The museum was built in Cham architectural style, using thin lines that are simple and gentle. The style originates from the period between the fifth and 15th centuries, when a matriarchal society prevailed.
More than 300 interesting sculptural statues and bas-reliefs have been collected from different sites of the ancient Champa Kingdom and preserved in this special museum. The French built the Cham Museum in 1936. The antique objects for display dated from the 4th to 12th century. It is certainly a big attraction for every visitor.
At present, the museum displays approximately 300 sculptures collected from Cham temples and towers throughout central Vietnam, more specifically from the area stretching from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan. The sculptures are displayed in 10 showrooms named after the localities where they were discovered.
Ba Na - Nui Chua, 1,487m high with a slope of 25 - 35 deg C is situated 40 km west of Da Nang 's city centre. The plant life here is diverse and the forest is always thick and green. The average temperature is 18 deg C - under 26 deg C in the hot season and under 20 deg C in the cold - with a range of 5 deg C between day and night that is so fresh and comfortable.
Accordingly in French colonial times Ba Na became a resort center where visitors often went to visit Nui Chua and Suoi Mo like Da Lat and Sa Pa. It can be said that Ba Na is a natural zoo of great significance for scientific research and tourism.
Ba Na is also an ideal resort with its beautiful landscapes. From Ba Na peak one has a sweeping panoramic view. To the east is Da Nang with many beautiful buildings, the Han river quietly following by Ngu Hanh Son which looks like a rockery an the sand, the vast fields running to the valleys. To the west is the Truong Son range soaring to the Thu Bon River. To the north, behind the peak of Hai Van Mountain are the diminishing horizon, the sandy islets, the lagoons and the poetic city of Hue.
Ba Na features are the beautiful thick forests with deep green pine-covered hills. There is a characteristic point of the area that few others possess: the clouds in the zone reach the middle of the mountains, while the peaks are always clears. From the top one can admire a landscape of mountains, rivers, sky and sea.Champa Kingdom
The Da Nang area was the center of the Cham Civilisation for many centuries. The most ancient capital, Singhapura (Lion Citadel) at Tra Kieu, 40 km southwest of Da Nang city, was built during the course of the 4th century. The ancient site of Singhapura with its dozens of monuments, hundreds of statues and bas-reliefs, attests to the rich culture of the kingdom which once flourished here.
The sacred Buddhist-inspired site of Indrapura, now known as Dong Duong lies 60 km from Da Nang. The Site 's scattered monuments are engraved with texts about a line of nine kings and their deeds. Many artefacts have been discovered at this site.
Only 10km from downtown Da Nang (as bee-line), Son Tra is a beautiful peninsula with long sandy beaches, picturesque rapids and primeval forests where there are valuable woods and unusual species of birds and animals. On the top of the mountain 700m above sea level tourists can see a panoramic view of Da Nang city, the Da Nang bay, the Marble Mountains and Bach Ma mountain further southwest.
Son Tra Peninsula is classified as a National Park by the central government. This National Park not only preserves wild life but is also a source of cool clean water.
The peninsula is a natural screen protecting Da Nang from storms coming from the sea. Son Tra is home of several animal species such as monkeys, sea tortoises and rare turtles. The eggs of sea tortoises and turtles are good enough to be exported. In general Son Tra is a habitat of rare flora and fauna. Son Tra is not only a natural summer resort for local people on the weekends but also a tourist attraction due to its abundant species of flora and fauna.
In summer-time from the cool breezy top of the mountain, one can look down at the city lying along the banks of the brilliant Han River below. It is an enjoyable and peaceful vista. The Chessboard peak is on Son Tra peninsula. This is a flat plain covered with old-trees. It is said that this used to be a place for the fairies to play chess and amuse themselves. The stone-stream flows south of Son Tra. At an altitude of 300m the blue clear current of water falling down directly on pilling rocks creates a lovely picture.
This communal house was built in the late 18th century and rebuilt in 1888. Like Nai Nam and Bo Ban, Tuy Loan communal house is used to worship the village tutelary god and bygone and recent time sages.
In the old days the people held a ceremony at the house to welcome spring on the 14th and 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. At present Tuy Loan communal house is unique in that it has preserved 15 honours dating from Minh Mang and Bao Dai 's reign.
The house covers an area of 110 square metres with brick walls and a pantile roof. It is decorated with two dragons flanking a moon and flying dragons encrusted with shards of pottery. The interior has three sections and there are two leantos, the rear one of which is 2.4m wide and 2.7m long. It has four rows of Jack tree wood pillars, each of which has six pillars from 2.5m to 4.5m high.
The pillars against the walls are decorated with pumpkin shapes. At the two sides, the roof beams are decorated with a dragon 's head and the tie beams of the gable are carved with a dragon 's head and designs of floating clouds, daisies and peonies reflecting their artistic value.
In the resistance war against the French, Tuy Loan communal house was the place where the local people and those in the neighboring villages of Bo Ban and Cam Toai held a demonstration and usurped the power of the district chief of Hoa Vang in August 1945.
In the anti-American war (1954-1975) the puppet government of Ngo Dinh Diem made this house a place for executing communists. Accordingly it was the place where the local people rose to oppose the Americans and Diem 's government. On 4th January 1999 the communal house was recognised as a historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Communication.
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Danang known under the French as Tourane, Da Nang is Vietnam 's fourth largest city, with a population of over one million. Located on the west bank of the Han River, this region, until the 15th century, was the border between the Cham and the Dai Viet kingdoms. A natural barrier - the Hai Van Pass, a rocky ridge towering over 1,000 metres - separated the two kingdoms. 
