Da Nang tourist attractions and activities
Da Nang beach is just a stroll from downtown
Da Nang is one of Vietnam’s least-visited cities by tourists, which makes it a fun place to explore for anyone eager to get off the tourist trail and explore the real Vietnam. However, the size of Da Nang also brings typical big-city problems such as traffic congestion, especially during the morning and evening rush hours, along with plenty of noise and air pollution.
Though the city is laid out in a grid pattern, it’s a bit confusing at ground level and easy to get lost. For this reason it’s advisable to take a card from your hotel when you go out to show a taxi driver in case you need to be rescued. For this same reason it is not advisable to rent a motorbike and tour the city by oneself.
Recommended Da Nang attractions
Cham Museum
Housed in a delightful colonial-style mansion and set among a garden of sweet-smelling frangipani trees, the Cham Museum (1 Trung Nu Vuong, admission 30,000d, 07:00-17:00) is an unmissable sight, particularly for anyone interested in history.
The building originally functioned as the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient when it was constructed in 1915, and now holds a fantastic collection of Cham sculptures on two floors and spilling out into the garden as well. It’s easy to be both captivated and awed as you walk through the collection of Hindu gods such as Vishnu and Ganesha, apsaras, lions and elephants.
The craftsmanship is comparable to the best Khmer sculptures at Angkor and in fact the cultures share a common trait – virtual extinction. Though many Vietnamese claim Cham roots, their assimilation into mainstream Vietnamese culture has been so successful that their trademark specialist skills such as stone carving have virtually disappeared in the modern era.
Cao Dai Temple in Da Nang
Cao Dai Temple
This is Vietnam’s second most important Cao Dai temple after the main one in Tay Ninh near Saigon and is located at 63 Hai Phong. The decoration of the temple exterior is not as elaborate as at Tay Ninh, but it includes the usual striking images, such as the all-seeing eye or the Supreme Being and images of the religion’s various saints, which include Buddha, Jesus and Confucius. If you arrive at noon you may find a service in progress and throngs of white-clad devotees in attendance.
My Son
This is the largest site of Cham ruins in the country, and while it’s nothing like as dramatic as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, it’s well worth a half- or full-day visit to walk around the crumbling brick towers engulfed by vegetation. Though much of the statuary from the site has been removed to the Cham Museum in Da Nang for safe keeping, the site reveals plenty of clues about the beliefs of Cham civilization, and has now been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Originally built in the fourth century, My Son (pronounced ‘me sun’) was inhabited until the 13th century, functioning as location for religious ceremonies for ruling kings as well as a burial site for Cham royalty. It is thought that at one time there were over 70 temples on the site, though these days only a few remain. Admission is 75,000d and it’s easy to arrange a tour in Da Nang.
