Da Nang Things to Do

Founded by a group of French scholars in 1915, the museum, on the outskirts of Da Nang, houses probably the best collection of Cham art in the world. The building in itself is worth a stop. A visit allows you to sample the artefacts, sculptures and sandstone carvings reflecting the 1,000-year Cham period.

The Museum of Cham Sculpture (Champa Museum), built between 1915 and 1919, has the best collection of Cham artifacts in the world - over 300 sandstone and terracotta objects. The museum is a must see in this otherwise not-very-attractive town.

I hope you will have a chance to meet the wonderful old man, who - for a small fee - gives you a tour in the museum (in English/French); if you answer his questions right, you will get a candy!

Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Through out Vietnam there a lots of shelters, bunkers, lookouts ect left over after the war. It is worth a look. Inside a lot of them the solders have written things and drawn pictures on the walls it give a very interesting insight to how and what the solders were feeling during the war as some a very graphic and honest.

Champa is an ancient kingdom that used to occupy central and south Vietnam. Vietnam's southward expansion, sadly, has come at the expense of the Chams. Today their culture is largely dissipated, but vestiges of their glorious past can still be seen at Cham ruins and in museums like this. Cham culture was heavily influenced by Hindu culture. One must marvel at the sophistication and artistry of these ancient people.

Chams are distinguished by their darker complexion. Most live among and intermarry with Vietnamese nowadays.

This mountain is so named because it is excavated for marble. There are many workshops and factories nearby which make marble sculptures and furniture. There are Buddhist temples and interesting caves at the top. It requires a medium to steep climb, however.

Cao Dai is a religious sect centered in the deep south. I'm surprised to see one this far north. If you can't make it to the main Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh, this is an alternative. The twin-tower motif is common in Cao Dai architecture.

The Marble Mountains, overlooking Danang, was an important religious spot and a haven for Communist guerillas during the war. A staircase cut into the mountain leads to a series of grottoes. At Huyen Khon Cave, the midday sun pours through holes in the ceiling dramatically spotlighting a statue of the Buddha Sakaymuni.

Nice , very nice