Da Nang city
Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. As a central position in Vietnam, Danang is an important transit point not only for domestic traffics, but also for international transportations, especially the East-West Economic Corridor, with an international airport and an international habour. Danang is also a young and dynamic city located next to the famous and beautiful beaches in the Central Region of Vietnam. The city is close to world heritages: the Hue Citadel in the north, the Hoi An Ancient Town and the My Son Sanctuary in the south. Further to the north is the world natural heritage the National Park Phong Nha – Ke Bang and the Thien Duong Cave.
Danang is famous itself with the title “the most livable city” where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) took place in 2017. There are many reasons for this title. The city has new style buildings with bridges, particularly the Dragon Bridge can breathe fire and water. In Danang, there are many tourist attractions such as My Khe beach (voted as one of the six most beautiful beaches in the world by Forbes magazine), Son Tra peninsula, Ba Na Hills, or Marble Mountain, and a friendly tourist environment.
The city can be an ideal place for discovering Central Vietnamese culture and for relaxing. There are many systems of resorts along the beach with various activities of tourism such as historical and cultural site visiting, scuba diving, and aquatic sports.
Culinary delights are another delectable point in Danang. With many kinds of seafood and special local dishes, the city can satisfy those who have a big love for food experiments.
More information at: https://danangfantasticity.com/en/about-danang/about-da-nang-city.html
Hoi An Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hoi An
As Hoi An is about 40km from Da Nang, it’s relatively fast and easy to travel between these two places. Travel time is about 30-40 minutes. Hoi An, once a major Southeast Asian trading post in the 16th and 17th centuries, is basically a living museum that houses old-town architecture. Some notable heritage buildings include Chinese temples, a Japanese-designed bridge, pagodas, wooden shop-houses, French-colonial houses, and old canals. Hoi An Riverside is the best place to be at night as the area is lit by quaint and old-fashioned lanterns, making it an atmospheric and beautiful spot. For those who love the sea, sun and sand, Hoi An offers two lovely beaches five kilometres away from the town centre – a sort of holiday within a holiday. Hoi An is also known for its great food, fun shopping, skilled tailors, friendly people and cosy atmosphere – all key characteristics that draw people to this picturesque town.
Further information at: http://www.vietnam-guide.com/hoi-an/hoi-an-old-town.htm
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is a cluster of abandoned Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and 14th centuries by the Kingdom of Champa. Partially ruined and recognised as a world heritage site since 1999, My Son is located in the Quang Nam Province – 70 kilometres southwest of Da Nang. It is also 30 kilometres west of Tra Kieu, the ancient capital of the Cham folk. It is about a 1-hour motorbike ride from Hoi An and the entrance fee is 150,000VND. The private tour remains the most preferred option to travel to My Son as an experienced driver can be trusted to navigate the winding roads while the beautiful scenery can be seen as a passenger. Although visited all year round, the wet season running from October-December can make it hard to navigate the ruins.
Originally created as a site for religious ceremonies for the Kings of the Dynasty of Champa, My Son Sanctuary was also a burial site for Cham royalty and other national heroes. The sanctuary is roughly 2 kilometres wide and encompassed between two breathtaking mountains. At one time, the sanctuary contained over 70 temples as well as many wooden slabs named ‘steles’ bearing historically important inscriptions in Cham and Sanskrit. Unfortunately, a large majority of the architecture was destroyed by a U.S. carpet bombing in the Vietnam War.
The very first temple was constructed with wood in the 4th century to worship the Saint Siva Bhadravarman. However, in the 6th century, it was completely destroyed by a fire which only leads the Champa folk to build more towers and temples to worship their Gods and publicly present their great power. The structures continued to grow greater but in the 13th century, the Champa Kingdom fell under attack from neighbouring countries such as China, Cambodia and even fellow Vietnamese. As a result, they were forced to migrate south to the Binh Thuan province. Since then, My Son was decommissioned and no more structures were built on this site.
These lands were all but forgotten until 1898 when it was explored by French scholar M.C Paris. It began reconstruction from 1937 onwards. Unfortunately, a large majority of the architecture was destroyed by a U.S. carpet bombing in the Vietnam War. There still remain many structures that preserve their beautifully unique look today, making My Son Sanctuary a popular destination each year for holiday-makers and locals alike.
French, Polish and Vietnamese researchers have concluded that My Son was influenced by Arabian, Malaysian, Indonesian and most particularly Indian tradition. All towers were originally constructed meticulously using red bricks and sandstone. There are many different beliefs among archaeologists about the process of brick-making to how the construction of these marvellous temples and towers took place. Upon visiting this hidden beauty, visitors quickly realise the sheer intelligence of the Champa folk even hundreds of years ago.
Further information at: https://hoiantravel.com.vn/hoi-an-ancient-town/my-son-sanctuary/