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Da Nang Thành phố Đà Nẵng |
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| — Centrally-governed city — | |
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| Coordinates: 16°04′N 108°14′E / 16.067°N 108.233°E | |
| Country |  Vietnam |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1,256 km2 (484.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
| - Total | 752,493 |
| - Density | 599/km2 (1,551.4/sq mi) |
| - Ethnicities | Vietnamese, Chinese, Cờ-tu, Tày |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (UTC+7) |
| - Summer (DST) | No DST (UTC+7) |
| Area code(s) | 511 |
| Website | www.danang.gov.vn |
Da Nang (occasionally Danang;
in Vietnamese: Đà Nẵng 
pronunciation (help·info)) is a major port
city in the South
Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China
Sea. It is one of the five independent municipalities in Vietnam.
It was called Tourane or Turon during the French colonization of Vietnam.
Contents |
Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, with an area of 1,255.53 km² and a population of 806,744 (figures in 2007).
According to Hỏi đáp về Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng (Questions and Answers about Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng) by Bùi Minh Quốc, Da Nang's name originated from the Cham word Da Nak, meaning "opening of a big river".
In 1847, French vessels dispatched by Admiral Cécille bombarded Đà Nẵng ostensibly on the grounds of persecution of Roman Catholic missionaries.
In August 1858, French troops landed under the orders of Napoleon III, beginning colonial occupation in the area. As a concession, it was renamed Tourane in French. It came to be considered one of Indochina’s five major cities, among Hanoi, Saigon-Cholon, Haiphong, and Hue. During the Vietnam War, the city was home to a major air base that was used by both the South Vietnamese and United States air forces. The population has since increased to over 1 million inhabitants. Refugees from the city of Huế have contributed to the rise since the aftermath of Hue in 1968.
The final U.S. ground combat operations in Vietnam ceased on 13 August 1972, when a residual force of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade stood down in Đà Nẵng. B Battery 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment fired the final U.S. artillery round and the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment finished their final patrols. This residual force was known as "Operation Gimlet".
Before 1997, the city was part of Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng province. On January 1, 1997, Đà Nẵng was separated from Quảng Nam province to become the fourth municipality of Vietnam.
Danang contains 5 universities:
Danang also has over ten other colleges, and numerous high schools.
Danang is the largest city in central Vietnam and one of the country's most important ports. Ringed by mountains on one side and the East Sea on the other, Danang has numerous sites of natural beauty and historical interest.
The city’s origins date back to the ancient Champa Kingdom, established by Indonesian settlers in 192AD. At its peak, the Cham’s sphere of influence stretched from Hue to Vung Tau. The expansion of the Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer led to the decline and fall of the Cham by the mid-15th century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, French and Spanish traders and missionaries made landfall at Hội An, just south of Danang. By the 19th century, Danang had superseded Hội An as the most important seaport in the central region. The presence of the French in the 19th and early 20th centuries and the Americans in the 1960s, led to continued growth of Danang, and it is now Vietnam's fourth largest city.
Established by French archeologists in 1936, the Cham Museum houses the world's finest collection of Cham art. Many of the statues, sculptures and reliefs were discovered at nearby My Son, a former ancient capital of the Cham and now a UNESCO designated World Heritage site. Dating from the 4th to the 14th centuries, the sensual artwork depicts daily activities as well as Hindu and Buddhist religious artifacts. The museum itself is housed in a beautiful French colonial style villa with open-air courtyards, fruit trees and bougainvillea.
The Marble Mountains are rocky limestone outcrops jutting out of the beach just south of Danang. Paths lead to the top of the forested cliffs, affording spectacular views of Non Nuoc Beach and the East Sea. The caves nestled in the cliffs were originally inhabited by Cham people. Later, Vietnamese under the Nguyen Dynasty built numerous pagodas amongst the caves. Today, the Marble Mountains are home to various artisans producing sculpture and artwork at its base.
Non Nuoc Beach is a white sandy beach on the outskirts of Danang is renowned for both its spectacular beauty and for its history as an R&R destination for American troops during the Vietnam War. Today, the beach is home to expensive resorts, surfing and entertainment facilities.
My Son is a remarkable archaeological site dating back over a thousand years. Located in a remote forested valley some 70 km west of Danang, this former capital and religious center of the Champa kingdom once contained in excess of 70 style temples and stupas. Although badly damaged by bombing raids in the 1960s the site still has over 20 structures and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
The city is classified as an industrial zone and has port facilities to handle container traffic. A number of light industries are located in the city. Since 1991, Đà Nẵng became one of the four independent municipalities in Vietnam (Vietnam now has five independent municipalities). After this, the city has had very fast economic growth.
The city’s economic output includes:
Some 4,900 factories/production facilities are located in Đà Nẵng. In 1997, Đà Nẵng exported around US$55 million worth of goods.
Đà Nẵng is on the end of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) which stretches over Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
Đà Nẵng International Airport, located at the center of the city is the third international airport in Vietnam. It is an important gateway to access central Vietnam. Before 1972, it was one of the busiest airports in the world due to the intensive military activities around the nearby seafront airbase. The airport has several domestic connections (connecting Hanoi, Hồ Chí Minh City, Quy Nhon)
The city is a major station of the Unification Train system.
The city is divided into 8 districts:
Macau, People's Republic of
China
Kaohsiung, Republic of
China Hai Phong, Vietnam
İzmir, Turkey
Oakland, United States
Yaroslavl, Russia [1]
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Da Nang (Đà Nẵng) is Vietnam's third largest city, and is located on the South China Sea coast, midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The city itself has neither the atmosphere of Hanoi nor the hustle-bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, but has its share of sights, and is close to the charms of Hoi An and the imperial capital of Hue.
The regions surrounding Da Nang (My Son, Quang Nam) was founded by the Cham practicing Hindus most possibly 3000 years ago, serving as the capital city and centre of the Hindu Champa Dynasty. Vietnamese invasion into the region in the 17th century significantly halted Cham development and during the Vietnam War, vast monuments and buildings were bombed. Given Danang was the first point of colonial invasion, many vestiges of French architecture are present in the historic buildings. The city has grown rapidly in recent years, and has a 2008 population estimated at 900,000. Until recently, this growth was mostly outward and infill, but now there are high-rises going up. There are many remnants of the "American War" leftover in Da Nang. Each bridge has a different builder, whether they be French, American, or Vietnamese. On the way to the popular tourist spot; China Beach, the ruins of a military base remain in the form of helicopter hangars, although these are now more easily spotted at the airport, which serves both civil and military flights.
The city is often overlooked by tourists but is one of the most friendly to backpackers in all of Vietnam. China Beach, a former R&R destination for American G.I.'s, is now home to a small community of guest house owners, marble statue shops, and other various trades. Some of the most beautiful and isolated beaches in Vietnam are found here, among some of the friendliest people. This is a must stop for the budget traveller.
Until relatively recently, Da Nang was somewhat hostile to foreigners, a consequence of the attitudes of those who then controlled the provincial government. In the early 90s, however, this changed, and since the late 90s the provincial [actually autonomous city] government has been enthusiastically pursuing foreign investment and developing infrastructure. Da Nang has some of the best roads in the country -- the coast road is at least four lanes from northern provincial boundary to southern provincial boundary. Compared to either Hanoi or HCMC, traffic in Da Nang is always relatively light, although huge trucks blare along every now and again and there are brief 'rush hours.' Development is visible and rapid; the city has expanded tremendously in the last ten years, and several multi-story buildings as well as more beach resorts are under construction, and there are now at least three large supermarkets as well as a Metro wholesaler. This also involves redevelopment of areas near the city beaches across the river, with whole blocks of old housing being razed and new roads installed and luxurious villas constructed.
The downside to the very laid back, less serious and frenetic, aspect of Da Nang is that even locals frequently complain that there is nothing to do except drink, which they do a lot. This is not really true -- there is a zoo, a soccer stadium, many tennis courts and pool halls, several large modern discos/night clubs, etc., and of course the beaches and Son Tra peninsula. However, it is also true that coffee and beer drinking are the most common leisure activities of most local residents.
The hottest months of the year are June, July, and August, when the temperature can get to as high as 40 degrees Celsius, and it is generally very dry. There are usually tropical storms in October and November.
Da Nang International Airport (IATA: DAD) is the smallest of Vietnam's three international airports. There are frequent flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on both Vietnam and Jetstar Pacific, as well as limited services direct to Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot. Silk Air operates the only international flights to Singapore and Siem Reap. Aside from a money changer, airport amenities are rather minimal, although some upgrading was done to the airport in late 2007 and early 2008. As of November 2006, international departure taxes should be included in the price of your ticket. Compared to larger Vietnamese airports, Da Nang is a little bit laid back; local travelers often arrive less than 30 minutes before their flights; there are also a couple of restaurants/coffee shops opposite the terminal, which offer more choice, if not lower prices, than inside the departure area.
The airport is located within the city, just 3 km south-west of the center of Danang, a 10-minute trip at most. Many travelers now choose to stay in Da Nang as it is considered as a gateway to Central Vietnam World Heritages Sites: Hoi An (25-30 min, US$15) or Hue (2 hours, US$35), My Son (1,5 hours). The hotels and resorts in Da Nang have their own travel desks which offer some half day or a day trip to those destinations. The fixed-price taxi coupon system has regrettably disappeared and now you have to haggle with the drivers outside, who ask silly prices but can be negotiated down to the amounts above; find a few other travelers to ease the pain. If going to a destination within or close to the city, ignore offers to set a price in advance and insist on use of the meter. If you arrive on a late night flight, you may encounter an unscrupulous taxi driver who has a fast meter, but usually there are lots of taxis and companies like Mai Linh, Taxi Xanh, or Song Han are reliable; avoid Airport Taxi, especially at night.
The Reunification Express makes a stop in Da Nang. Many motorbikes and taxis are available outside of the station. Scheduled arrival and departure times are loosely followed. If you just want to get to Hue, you can also take the 'local' train which is slow (about four to four and a half hours from Da Nang to Hue, with several stops along the way; a car or taxi does it in two), but incredibly cheap (25,000 dong including a meal) and passes through some spectacular coastal scenery.
Sinh Cafe, the popular bus-pass service, makes a stop in Hoi An, a short distance from the city. It is of a distance where a taxi is better than a motorbike.
At least two other bus-pass services make stops in Da Nang, and can be taken to either Hue or Hoi An or further in either direction. Fare to Hue is $3 as of late 2007, trip takes about three hours with one refreshment stop on the way. The bus uses the tunnel so does not go over the spectacular pass between Da Nang and Hue.
A bus station serves transport to several cities including a few locations in Laos. It have dairly bus to Savannakhet,Tha Khek and Vian Tieng in morning
Sustainable Tour operator & vegetarian restaurant "Karma Waters" (www.karmawaters.com) 47 Cua Dai Street, Hoi An tel. 0510 3927632 operates Danang - Hoi An boat tours & shuttle service.
It is difficult to learn Vietnamese in Da Nang as the ex-pat community is quite small and the demand for the language learning is not great. You will be able to find many people who are willing to do language exchange with you and there are a number of qualified Vietnamese teachers. The current rate is about US$5/hour. You can also contact some volunteers to speak vietnamese to them. It is absolutely free.
Be aware that the Da Nang dialect of Vietnamese is distinct from both Hanoi and HCMC versions, although closer to HCMC than to Hanoi. If you learnt your Vietnamese in Hanoi, many ordinary people in Da Nang will have some difficulty understanding you until they realize you are trying to talk like the presenters they see on TV. Even trained teachers will tend to teach you to speak like a Da Nang person unless you emphasize that you want to learn Hanoi dialect, which is understood [eventually] throughout the country as it is the 'official' version and that used on TV. If you spend a fair amount of time in Da Nang, either employed or as a volunteer, it is fairly easy to find recent English graduates, or current students studying English, from the College of Foreign Languages of the University of Danang who will happily work through a Vietnamese textbook with you for a lot less than $5/hour, and this is probably as good a way as any to acquire some Vietnamese; there are lots of books that are Vietnamese courses for foreigners; Teach Yourself Vietnamese [Huong Dan Tu Hoc Tieng Viet, a Complete Course for Beginners] by Dana Healy is one of the best; Jake Catlett and Huong Nguyen's Vietnamese for Beginners is easier and less comprehensive; Nguyen Anh Que's Vietnamese for Foreigners is good and has a lot of material and vocabulary.
There are a number of schools where you can find work including Apollo and the University of Da Nang. The salaries are many times above the average national wage.
There are several local shopping markets scattered around the city and a few shopping centres. Hung Vuong, Hoang Dieu, Phan Chu Trinh and surrounding streets offers a wealth of quality goods; clothes, shoes, homewares, dvds etc.. If you have more time available, you can pay a visit to the new French-owned superstore BigC, which offers a wide variety of goods. This modern shopping facility is in the center of the city, at 255 - 257 Hung Vuong St. (on the corner of Ong Ich Khiem and Hung Vuong streets). Opening hours are from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
There are many places in which you can have a good meal in Danang city. Because of its position, in the middle of Vietnam, you can find many sorts of food come from the other parts of the country. If you prefer the fresh air and fresh seafood, it's a great idea to have a walk along the street named Pham Van Dong. There are lots of seafood restaurants and seafood bars there. Get into a named restaurant, not the ones on the street side, to have safe and good quality seafood.
There are masses of seafood restaurants lining the beach at My Khe, the other side of Cau Song Han -- the big lit-up suspension swing bridge. It is a couple of kilometers straight from the bridge to the beach, then if you turn right there are seven upscale restaurants on the beach side of the road, with massive amounts of neon, and lots of no-name restaurants on the land side, with beachside seating a bit further along from the upscale ones. Further along the beach road, there are two nice seafood restaurants next door to My Khe Beach hotel [My Khe one, the oldest], and a Czech microbrewery restaurant across the street from the new My Khe 3 hotel. Highly recommended to try are grilled cuttlefish, grilled oysters and clams [you will find the latter two are different at every restaurant], and everywhere 'hotpot' [lau]. There is a seafood restaurant named Trieu Chau one block closer to the beach and one long block in to the right from the GoldenSea hotel that serves a wonderful Lau Thai Lan.
If you prefer a cheap meal with safe and quite good quality food, the small bars are the best choice. There are many kinds of small bar in Danang, but they seem to be the same in the food they sell, quite good but not the best. You should go with a native person in order not to be tricked.
There are also many specialty restaurants, e.g. the goat restaurant on Tran Hung Dao [across the river from downtown], or the smaller [compared to Tulip] Czech brewery restaurant near the airport that specializes in turtle [although many other places serve turtle; don't worry, they are farmed, mostly for export to China. Farmed crocodile is also available many places.] Down an alley off the top corner of the square opposite the Monument is a 'wild animal restaurant' where the owner has an extraordinary network of suppliers in the highlands, and offers whatever he has available -- which may include such delicacies as unusual as porcupine in addition to the standard venison and wild pig.
Hoa's Guesthouse at China Beach. The gathering spot for backpackers in the evenings, as Hoa hosts "family dinners." For about US$1.50 you get treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet, courtesy of Hoa's wife. Picnic tables are full of travellers inside this tiny cafe, starting at around 7PM. edit
Bao Nam Tran- fine, private and popular place for coffee, business dealings, meals and light Vietnamese pastries,drinks and desserts. The restaurant/coffee house's ancient Vietnamese architecture; incorporating heavy dark ornate wooden panels and furniture mixed with modern amenities (escalator) is a must-see. Wireless internet connection and a selection of reading material is available. The restaurant has a lovely ambience at night. Come here for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Located on 27 Nguyen Chi Thanh St.
Ocean Blue Bar&Grill Live Music, 36 Xuan Dieu near the new Thuan Phuoc Bridge. A high-class music lounge located on the 7th floor of the Ocean Blue Building. Good mixed drinks. Very romantic surrounding, including view of the city and Hans river at night. A "must" visit if you like a relaxed entertainment evening in Danang.
There are a few places around Danang for the traveller/ex-pat to take a drink and where English is spoken enough to make sure you get what you want. The first is Green Town Bar at 50 Bach Dang St. It is one of relatively few bars open past the witching hour and most ex pats drop in there for either an early evening or late night drink. The view is excellent with an outdoor terrace and 2 big pool tables inside.The prices are very reasonable. Up to 10 o'clock food is available.
Another popular haunt for local ex pats is the Bamboo Bar which takes quite a bit of finding but ask an ex-pat around the Green Town Bar and you'll get a mud map. Bamboo 2's owner speaks excellent English, there are always foreigners there, and it is easy to find at the corner of Bach Dang and Thai Phien. Eve Pub on Tran Phu near Prince hotel also stays open late, although its clientele is mostly Vietnamese. The discos all stay open until 12.30 or later. Many street side beer places stay open until the last customers leave, but most operators have no English.
Avoid like the plague the infamous "Coolspot" which has developed quite a reputation for overpricing and sub standard quality. It's in all the guide books so you know it's truly a place to be avoided.
If you are not concerned about mixing it with the locals, there are literally thousands of drinking places where beer is cheap as chips and the food is superb and cheap. Head down to the beach for excellent seafood meals. Avoid the swanky looking places where you will pay western prices and try some of the "shacks" that line the road along the beach.
If you are really not in the mood for a bar environment, there are some fantastic cafes in Danang. Try Wonder Cafe or New Life Cafe on Le Loi Street. Or just wander down Nguyen Chi Thanh Street where there are quite a few good quality cafes.
For lovers of Micro Brewery Beverages try: The Czech beer place on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street. Or even better Tulip Beer on 2/9 Street. Just across the road from Tulip are some excellent restaurants, New World Cafe and No.1 Disco. This refers to the restaurants on the service road along the road leading to the twin bridges over the river from the roundabout that Tulip is located on. Further away from the bridges, across a small bridge going toward New World Cafe, is Gelato, which has by far the best ice-cream [but don't call it that; it is gelato, an Italian specialty] in Da Nang, if not in the whole of Viet Nam. Gelato is expensive, but is excellent, and there are always staff there who speak good English. No 1. Disco is the most upscale disco in town, and quite small; the two discos near the mouth of the river, of which New Phuong Dong at 20 Dong Da is the less crowded [but still a scrum on weekends] and probably most fun for a traveler to visit, are bigger and more eclectic in their clientele and have better entertainment [New Phuong Dong, for example, has a resident Ghanaian DJ and many visiting singers from Sai Gon and Ha Noi]. Festival, on the second corner going up river from Cau Song Han on Tran Hung Dao, is the newest disco and the only one on the My Khe beach side of the river. It is part of a complex that also has a restaurant and karaoke rooms; if you buy the staff a drink here [a normal thing to do in this kind of disco-night club] they can be very aggressive about drinking it fast and running up a big bill for you.
And finally for a real late night place hit "Red Hot" Bar on Nguyen Van Linh Street.
'Late night' is more flexible in Da Nang than in Ha Noi; most of the time the discos and places like Red Hot [an approximation of a Thai girlie-bar] close at 1 a.m. or 1.30, but if the police decide to say the national rules should not be flouted quite so blatantly, they may unexpectedly close at midnight or 00.30. However, roadside open-air establishments will continue to serve beer long after that if they still have customers, and there are some places on the main roads that cater to truck drivers and the like that appear to be open essentially all night.
As drinking coffee is a part of Vietnamese culture, it's a good idea if you spend your time on drinking coffee there. Coffee in Vietnam, especially coffee in the middle of Vietnam, is very strong and itself has a very wonderful smell. In Danang, people spend a lot of time to drink coffee and chat in coffee shop. There are several kinds of coffee shop in Danang: Luxurious coffee shops, mid-class coffee shops and special coffee shops.
Luxurious coffee shops can be found on many streets of the city, they are quite nice and of course the prices quite high. Along Phan Chau Trinh Street, you can find a lot of this kind of coffee shop. Mid-class coffee shops can be found everywhere, the drinks are quite cheap and it's just a place For people to take a rest after work of walking a long way. And the most interesting kind, the special coffee shop. Special coffee shop means that in it you not only drink coffee and many kind of drinks, but also have some special types of entertainment. For example, Rock coffee shop (Rock cafe in Vietnamese). In this kind of coffee shop, you can enjoy your coffee and listen to rock songs at the same time, you can ask them to play the song you like. Usually, they play ballads and soft rock in the daylight and hard rock and metal in the evening(very loudly).
Other kind of special coffee shop is Chess Coffee Shop. In this kind of coffee shop, you can drink many kind of soft drink and play chess with other people. You can easily find yourself a person to play with. The drinks there are quite cheap and everyone is very polite when playing chess. This kind of coffee is a part of Vietnamese coffee drinking culture and it's a wonderful idea to try it.
Famous coffee shops in Danang city:
One kind of special coffee shop is chatting coffee shop. There you can drink coffee on the street side and chat with you friend while you enjoy you drink. It's very cheap.
The most famous couple of chatting coffee shop is Long coffee shop and An coffee shop which located on the corner of Le Loi Street and Quang Trung Street.
Don't be fooled by the guide books - Danang is a great place to visit and much cheaper than touristy Hoi An.
Guests enjoy cocktails and light snacks in a very relaxed colonial setting decorated with cane chairs and carved Vietnamese furniture. A pianist followed by our resident Filipino band entertains in the evenings. Free wireless Internet access is available at the outlet. Happy Hour buy one get one free from 6 pm to 7 pm. Open: daily from 10:00 am to 02:00 am.Free WIFI. Drinks from USD 2 to USD 5
There are plenty of budget hotels in Da Nang.
It is a comparatively safe city but be sure to lock up your belongings at night (as everyone does) which includes not leaving your bike out on the street. Everyone generally brings them into their houses.
Da Nang is less Westernised than Hanoi or HCMC so it can be more difficult to feel settled here. The locals are friendly/curious enough to always be willing to help you (even when there is no language).
Frequent bus service to Hoi An, as well as other destinations throughout Vietnam is available at the intercity bus station.
Danang train station is conveniently located close to the center of town.
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Da Nang (Vietnamese: Đà Nẵng) is a city in central Vietnam. It has about 370,000 people.
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   | Danang - Economy - VNN Worldcup'98 main page |
| | The University of Da Nang - The University of Da Nang |
| | Danang - History - VNN Worldcup'98 main page |
| | Danang - Culture and Education - Danang Potentialities and Prospects |
| | Da Nang Ex Pat Community website - danangliving, VietNam / FrontPage |
| | The DaNang Project - BOOMERNET | The DaNang Project |
| | Danang travel information - Danang Vietnam Travel Information |
| | Danang travel guide - Oops - Error - Not Found |
| | Danang travel guide - Vietnam Travel - Vietnam Hotel, Flight, Tours, Packages | iViVu |
| | Danang People's Committee - Welcome to Danang city - Vietnam |
| | The University of Danang - The University of Da nang |
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