Da Nang

Da NangorDanang(Vietnamese:Đà Nẵng,Vietnamese pronunciation:[ɗaː˨˩n̪a˧˥ˀŋ]) is thefifth-largest cityinVietnamby municipal population.It lies on the coast of the South China Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of theHàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important port cities. As one of the country's sixdirect-controlled municipalities, it falls under the administration of thecentral government.
The city was known as Cửa Hàn during earlyĐại Việtsettlement, and as Tourane (or Turon) duringFrench colonial rule. Before 1997, the city was part of Quang Nam – Da Nang Province. On 1 January 1997, Da Nang was separated fromQuảng Nam Provinceto become one of four centrally controlled municipalities in Vietnam. Da Nang is designated as afirst class city,and has a higher urbanization ratio than any of Vietnam's otherprovinces or centrally governed cities.
Da Nang is the commercial and educational center ofCentral Vietnamand is the largest city in the region. It has a well-sheltered, easily accessible port, and its location onNational Route 1and theNorth–South Railwaymakes it a transport hub. It is within 100 km (62 mi) of severalUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites, including theImperial City of Huế, the Old Town ofHội An, and theMỹ Sơnruins.
APEC 2017was hosted in Da Nang.
Da Nang has aHuman Development Indexof 0.800 (very high), rankingfifthamong all municipalities and provinces of Vietnam.
Most of the names by which Da Nang has been known make reference to its position at theHàn Riverestuary. The city's present name is generally agreed to be a Vietnamese adaptation of theChamwordda nak, which is translated as 'opening of a large river'.
OtherChamicsources, with similar definitions, have been proposed. Inrasara (akaPhú Trạm), a researcher specializing inChampa, suggestsDa Nangis a variation of the Cham worddaknan(lit. 'the large water'); Sakaya (akaVăn Món), another Champa researcher, claims a connection with theRaglaiworddanang, meaning 'river source'.
Another name given to Da Nang wasCửa Hàn(lit. 'mouth of the Han [river]'). The name used by the French,Tourane, is said to derive from this name, by way of a rough transliteration.Notably, this name (spelledCua han) appears on maps of the area drafted byAlexandre de Rhodesin 1650. The nameKean(compareKẻ Hàn, roughly 'Han market') was another name purportedly used during the 17th century to refer to the land at the foot of theHải Vân Pass.
Other names referring to Da Nang include:
The city's origins date back to the ancient kingdom ofChampa, established in 192 AD. At its peak, the Chams' sphere of influence stretched fromHuếtoVũng Tàu. The city ofIndrapura, at the site of the modern village of Dong Duong inQuảng Nam Province(about 50 km (31 mi) from Da Nang), was the capital of Champa from about 875 to about 1000 AD. Also in the region of Da Nang were the ancient Cham city of Singhapura ("City of the Lion"), the location of which has been identified with an archeological site in the modern village of Trà Kiệu, and the valley ofMỹ Sơn,where a number of ruined temples and towers can still be viewed.
In the latter half of the 10th century, the kings of Indrapura came into conflict with theĐại Việt, who were then based at Hoa Lư near modernHanoi.Champa had been independent, it found itself in need to defend its territory to contain the threat posed by theKhmer Empirein the west, and expand its territory to the north, hoping to conquer the Vietnamese nation. There, with the Vietnamese Kingdom in turmoil following the assassination ofĐinh Tiên Hoàng, Champa made an unsuccessful attempt to invadeĐại Việtin 979 with support of China, but failed due to the strong defence of Vietnamese territory under the command ofLê Hoàn. In 982, three ambassadors sent to Champa by EmperorLê Hoànof the Đại Việt (founder of theEarly Lê dynasty) were detained in Indrapura. Lê Hoàn decided to go on the offensive, sacking Indrapura and killing the Cham King Parameshvaravarman I. As a result of these setbacks, the Cham eventually abandoned Indrapura around 1000 AD.
The Đại Việt campaign against Champa continued into the late 11th century, when the Cham were forced to cede their three northern provinces to the rulers of theLý dynasty. Soon afterward, Vietnamese farmers began moving into the untilled former Cham lands, turning them into rice fields and moving relentlessly southward, delta by delta, along the narrow coastal plain. The southward expansion of Đại Việt (known asNam Tiến) continued for several centuries, culminating in the annexation of most of the Cham territories by the end of the 15th century.
The Điện Hải Citadel was first built in 1813 as an earthen fortress located to the north of its present position, with An Hải citadel on the east bank built by EmperorGia Longto protect the port, and by 1819, both Điện Hải and An Hải citadels had been rebuilt in brick. In 1823, Gia Long's son and successorMinh Mạngrebuilt the original Điện Hải fortress on a high mound at the current location, being upgraded from a fortress (đồn) to a citadel (thành) in 1835.
One of the first Europeans to visit Da Nang was Portuguese explorerAntónio de Faria, who anchored in Da Nang in 1535. Faria was one of the first Westerners to write about the area and, through his influence, Portuguese ships began to call regularly atHội An, which was then a much more important port than Da Nang.Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, French and Spanish traders and missionaries regularly made landfall atHội An, just south of Đà Nẵng. An American, John White, arrived at Da Nang (then calledTuron) on 18 June 1819 in thebrigFranklinofSalem, Massachusetts, and was advised that the country was recovering from devastating wars, and that what little goods had been produced in the area was already allocated. Other American ships arriving shortly after were theMarmionofBoston, and theAuroraandBeverlyof Salem.
Conditions were such due to the wars that they were unable to conduct trade, and the subsequent missions ofEast India CompanyagentJohn Crawfurdin 1823and the two missions ofAndrew Jackson's agent, American diplomatEdmund Roberts, in 1833 and 1836 were unable to secure trade agreements due to the exceptionally poor quality of the port.Following the edict of EmperorMinh Mạngin 1835, prohibiting European vessels from making landfall or pursuing trade except at Đà Nẵng, its port quickly superseded Hội An as the largest commercial port in the central region.
In 1847, French vessels dispatched byAdmiral Cécillebombarded Đà Nẵng, ostensibly on the grounds of alleged persecution of Roman Catholic missionaries. In August 1858, once again ostensibly on the grounds of religious persecution, French troops, led by AdmiralCharles Rigault de Genouilly, and under the orders ofNapoleon III, landed in Đà Nẵng as part of the punitiveCochinchina Campaign.
The French overpowered the Vietnamese stationed in Da Nang, swiftly occupying the city and Tiên Sa peninsula (present-day Sơn Trà peninsula). The occupying forces were quicklyplaced under siegeby the Vietnamese army under the command of Nguyễn Tri Phương, and were eventually forced to retreat in March 1860. The French were able to invade the southern stronghold ofSaigonand, in June 1862, several provinces of southern Vietnam were ceded to the French asCochinchinawith the signing of theTreaty of Saigon.
Through two more decades of conflict, the French gradually strengthened their hold on Vietnam, culminating in the establishment ofFrench Indochina(French:Union de l'Indochine Française) in October 1887.Two years later, in 1889, the French colonists renamed the city Tourane, placing it under the control of thegovernor general of French Indochina.It came to be considered one ofIndochina's five major cities, amongHanoi,Saigon–Cholon,Haiphong, andHuế.
In 1903, the colonial government authorised Société des docks et houillères de Tourane to proceed with the tramway construction, with its preliminary 9.5-kilometre stretch (between Observatory Point and Tourane Mỹ Khê) being opened on 9 November 1905. Under the state management, “Tramway de l’Îlot de l’Observatoire” opened to the public on 1 October 1907, stretching to Faifo (Hoi An) via Montagne de Marbre (Marble Mountains), operating until 31 December 1915.
During theVietnam War, what is now theDa Nang International Airportwas amajor air baseused by theSouth VietnameseandUnited States Air Forces.
The base became one of the world's busiest aircraft hubs during the war,reaching an average of 2,595 aircraft traffic operations daily, more than any other airport and airbase in the world at that time.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". 
After the US withdrawal from the conflict, in the final stage of the conquest of South Vietnam by North Vietnam, Da Nang fell to the communist forces 29–30 March 1975. Vietnam issued two special postage stamps to commemorate this event, within its "total liberation" stamp set issued 14 December 1976.
Marble Mountain Air Facility, constructed in 1965, was also located in Da Nang.
Since the era of the construction of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Danang has become essentially the third city after Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to be an important urban centre of the central region of Vietnam. Danang boasts numerous educational institutes as well as important sites of economy.
Da Nang is the largest city in central Vietnam and one of the country's most important ports. The city is surrounded by mountains to the west, and the South China Sea to the east. Da Nang bordersHuếacross theHải Vân Passto the north, along with theQuảng Nam Provinceto the south and west. It is 764 km (475 mi) south ofHanoi, and 964 km (599 mi) north ofHo Chi Minh City.The city has a total land area of 1,283.42 km(495.53 sq mi), of which 241.51 km(93.25 sq mi) are urban districts and 1,041.91 km(402.28 sq mi) are rural districts.
Geologically, Da Nang is at the edge of aPaleozoicfold beltknown as the Truong SonOrogenic Zone, whose main deformation occurred during the earlyCarboniferousperiod.Da Nang's topography is dominated by the steepAnnamite mountain rangeto the north and north-west, which features peaks ranging from 700 to 1,500 m (2,300 to 4,900 ft) in height, and low-lying coastal plains with some salting to the south and east, with several white sand beaches along the coast.
Da Nang has atropical monsoon climatewith two seasons: a typhoon and wet season from September to December and a dry season from January to August.Temperatures have an annual average of around 26 °C (79 °F).Cold waves can occasionally occur, although they are of short duration.Temperatures are highest between June and August with mean temperatures of 28 to 30 °C (82 to 86 °F), and lowest between December and February (mean temperature of 18 to 23 °C (64 to 73 °F)).In Ba Na Hills, the temperatures are lower with an annual average of 20 °C (68 °F).The annual average for humidity is 81%, with highs between October and January (reaching 84–86%) and lows between June and August (reaching 75–77%).
On average, Da Nang receives 2,205 mm (86.8 in) of rainfall. Rainfall is typically highest between September and November (ranging from 550 to 1,000 mm (22 to 39 in)) and lowest between February and April (ranging from 23 to 40 mm (0.91 to 1.57 in)).Da Nang receives an average of 2162 hours of sunlight annually, with highs between 234 and 277 hours per month in May and June and lows between 69 and 165 hours per month in November and December.
Da Nang is the fifth-most populated city in Vietnam, with an area of 1,255.53 km(484.76 sq mi)and a population of 1,220,187 according to the update in 2022.Women make up 50.7% of Da Nang's population.
Da Nang's population has been growing at rates of between 2.5% and 3% during most of the years between 2005 and 2011, significantly exceeding the national average of 1% to 1.2%.The growth rate briefly rose to 3.6% in 2010 before returning to its long-term trend with 2.68% in 2011. This is the third fastest growth rate in the country after the two southern manufacturing centersBình Dương Province(4.41%) andĐồng Nai Province(3.5%).
Đà Nẵng's population is estimated to reach one million inhabitants by 2014.Migration has been the dominant factor in the city's population growth at least since 2009, contributing 1.6% to 2.7% (2010) between 2009 and 2011.Out-migration has been relatively high in 2011 at 0.79% compared to 0.34% and 0.55% in previous years, while the in-migration rate has been exceeding 2% since 2009 and was at 2.28% in 2011.
Đà Nẵng's natural population growth is only slightly higher than the national average. Its crude birth rate was recorded at 18live birthsper 1000 persons. The crude death rate was measured at 6.7 per 1000 persons in 2011.Life expectancyat birth was estimated at 77.4 years for women and 72.4 years for men, or 74.8 years overall in the 2009 population census. Theinfant mortality ratewas measured at 9.9 infant deaths per 1000 live births,less than two points above the nation's average for urban areas.
The city has the highest urbanization ratio amongprovinces and municipalities in Vietnam,containing only 11rural communes, the fewest of any province-level unit in Vietnam.As of 2009, 86.9% of Đà Nẵng's population lived in urban areas; average annual urban population growth was 3.5%.
The leading organ of the Communist Party in Da Nang City is the executive committee of theCommunist Party. The current Secretary is Nguyen Van Quang.
The legislative branch of the city is the People's Council of Da Nang City. The current chairman is Luong Nguyen Minh Triet.
The executive branch of the city is the People's Committee of Da Nang City. The current chairman is Le Trung Chinh.
The city of Da Nang is officially divided into eight district-level sub-divisions, including six urban districts (Hải Châu,Thanh Khê,Cẩm Lệ,Sơn Trà,Ngũ Hành SơnandLiên Chiểu) and two rural districts (Hòa VangandHoàng Sa(Paracel Islands)). They are further subdivided into 45 wards and 11 communes. The city center of Da Nang isHải Châu district.
Before 1997, the city was part of Quang Nam–Da Nang Province. On 1 January 1997, Da Nang was separated fromQuang Nam Provinceto become one of five independent (centrally-controlled) municipalities in Vietnam.
Da Nang is the leading industrial center of central Vietnam. Its GDP per capita was 19 millionVNDin 2007, one of the highest in Vietnam (afterHồ Chí Minh City,Hanoi,Bình Dương Province, andĐồng Nai Province).By 2009, this had increased to 27.3 million VND.
Da Nang led theProvincial Competitiveness Indexrankings in 2008, 2009, and 2010 (and was second afterBình Dương Provincein the three years before that), benefiting mostly from good infrastructure, good performance in labour training, transparency, proactive provincial leadership and low entry costs.
On Vietnam's Provincial Competitiveness Index 2023, a key tool for evaluating the business environment in Vietnam’s provinces, Danang received a score of 68.79. This was a slight improvement from 2022 in which the province received a score of 68.52. In 2023, the province received its highest scores on the 'Informal Charges' and 'Law and Order’ criteria and lowest on 'Policy Bias' and ‘Access To Land’.
Exports increased to US$575 million in 2008, but fell back to US$475 million in 2009.
Despite its status as a city, 37,800 people in Da Nang were employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing as of 2007, producing 45,000t of rice and 41,000t of fish.However, employment in these sectors had a clear negative trend in the first decade of the 21st century.Gross output has also been decreasing during the second half of the decade.Given Da Nang's lack of agricultural land (9200ha as of 2007) and its location at the coast, fishing has been contributing more to the economy than agriculture, with a gross output more than twice that of agriculture.
Da Nang is a diversified industrial center, including industries such as machinery, electrics, chemicals, shipbuilding, and textiles.Specific industrial products include aquatic products, fabric, clothes, bricks, fertilizer, cement, soap, paper, and medical tablets.The city's industry may diversify further.EADSis planning to set up an industrial park focused on the aviation industry in Da Nang.
As of 2007, Da Nang industry was dominated by the state sector, which made up 57% ofgross output. This is about the same as its share in 2000.Over 80% of the state industry is centrally managed (in other words: belongs to state corporations headquartered inHanoi).Almost half of the rest is contributed by the foreign-invested sector, while the private domestic sector is still relatively small and has not been able to significantly increase its share compared to the state sector. Industry grew by an average of 14.8% per year from 2000 to 2007, making it the main engine of economic growth. However, it has the second lowest industrial growth rate in theSouth Central Coast(behind onlyKhanh Hoa Province). Employment has grown at an average of 5.75%, reaching 118,900 in 2007.
Historically, Da Nang's main marketplace has been the Hàn Market (Vietnamese:Chợ Hàn), which is downtown near the west bank of the Hàn River, between Tran Phu and Bach Dang Streets. This market, much likeBen Thanh MarketinSaigon, offers a wide variety of goods sold by many different vendors, such as clothing, silk, jewelry, flowers, foodstuffs such as dried fruit and fish, as well as coffee, tea and wine (including Vietnamesesnake wine).
Many new construction projects are underway in Da Nang, including several beachfront resorts such as the US$130 million Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa, and the Beach Resort complex (including Ocean Villas and Marriott Hotel) inNgu Hanh Son.Another ambitious project, the US$250 million Da Phuoc International New Town aims to construct an entirely new urban area on reclaimed land on the city's north sea coast, making it the first majorland reclamationproject in Central Vietnam. Plans for the Đa Phước project include the erection of a hotel and several smaller resorts, a 33-story apartment block and 60-story office block, an 18-hole golf course, a marina, as well as villas and international schools.
The tourism sector is a vital component of Da Nang's economy. Its status as a transportation hub for central Vietnam and its proximity to severalUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites, including theImperial City of Hue, the Old Town ofHoi An, and theMy Sonruins fuels much of its tourist activity.
Mỹ Sơn is an archaeological site dating back more than a thousand years, inQuang Nam. Located in a remote forested valley some 70 km west of Da Nang, this former capital and religious center of theChampakingdom once contained in excess of 70 style temples and stupas. Although badly damaged by bombing raids in the 1960s, the site still has more than 20 structures and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Many statues, sculptures and reliefs recovered from Mỹ Sơn are kept in theMuseum of Cham Sculpture, near theHàn Riverin the heart of Da Nang. Dating from the fourth to the 14th centuries, the sensual artwork on these works depicts daily activities as well as Hindu and Buddhist religious themes.
TheMarble Mountainsare rocky limestone outcrops jutting out of the beach just south of Da Nang. Paths lead to the top of the forested cliffs, providing views of Non Nuoc Beach and the South China Sea. The caves in the cliffs were originally inhabited by theCham people. Later, theNguyen dynastybuilt numerous pagodas among the caves. The Marble Mountains are home to various artisans producing sculpture and artwork at its base atNon Nuoc Village.
Non Nuoc Beach is a white sandy beach on the outskirts of Đà Nẵng that is renowned for its history as an R&R destination for American troops during theVietnam War. Today, the beach, along with Mỹ Khê beach to the north, are home to expensive resorts, surfing, and entertainment facilities.Ba Na Hillsis a mountain resort with a 5 km-longcable carsystem which carries guests up to Ba Na's peak at 1487m above sea level.Son Tra Mountain, just some miles away from the city centre with some wild streams and resorts along the seaside.
The central coastal city of Da Nang saw a significant growth in international tourist arrivals in 2017, according to the city's Department of Tourism. In 2017, about 6.6 million visitors came to Da Nang, up 19% over the previous year and 4.8% higher than its yearly target. The figure included 4.3 million domestic tourists, up 11.3% year-on-year.
The central city earned over VND19.4 trillion (US$853.96 million) in revenue, an increase of 20.6% from 2016. Statistics also show that the city witnessed an impressive increase in the number of visitors by air which stood at over 1.58 million, up 74.4% while by-car visitors via Thailand and Laos was estimated at 14,120.
In 2016, Da Nang was voted one of the top 10 resort destinations inAsiaby readers of Smart Travel Asia magazine.In 2018, Da Nang was also listed as one of the destinations to visit before it became too famous on theBusiness Insider website.According to the Japanese newspaperNikkei, in the 2018 ranking of tourist destinations by Airbnb – the world's largest accommodation booking website, Da Nang ranked 5th globally and 1st inSoutheast Asiain terms of attracting tourists.Also in 2018, theGolden Bridgephenomenon became a focal point on famous newspapers around the world.In 2019, the leading prestigious American newspaper – TheNew York Timespraised Da Nang as "the Miami of Vietnam", ranking 15th in the list of 52 places to visit in the world.
Central Vietnamese cuisine, particularly the cuisine of Da Nang, is well known through Vietnam, and growing in popularity internationally. Da Nang is famous for its flavorful dishes, such asMì Quảng, Bún chả cá (fish ball noodle soup),Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo( Dry pancake roll with pork), Banh xeo (Crispy pancake), Nem lui (Lemongrass Pork Skewers).
Da Nang's football club,SHB Da Nang F.C., play in theV-League 2recently demoted fromV.League 1, Vietnam's top professional football league in 2023. They were one of the most highly ranked teams in V.League 1, having emerged from competition as champions of the2009 V-League. In the same year, they also completed the double by winning theVietnamese Cup. They also qualified for the2010 AFC Champions Leagueand the2010 AFC Cup; although they did not advance past thequalifying play-offin the Champions League,they advanced to the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup after defeatingBecamex Bình Dươnginextra time.Several Da Nang F.C. players also play for the Vietnamnational team, includingdefenderVõ Hoàng QuảngandmidfielderPhan Thanh Hưng.SHB Da Nang F.C.play their home games at theChi Lăng Stadium, a 30,000-seat stadium inHải Châu District.
There are several universities located in Da Nang, with campuses in many locations throughout the city, as well as satellite campuses in surrounding regions.
The city has 17 high schools, of whichLe Quy Don High School for the Giftedis among the leading high schools in Vietnam.
There is also a sizable presence of overseas education representatives in Da Nang. Campus Franceis a French-government agency in Da Nang, which promotes the learning of the French language and supports students in the location of study opportunities in France. English Language Instituteis a learning center built by theUniversity of Queensland, Australia, targeting English teaching in addition to serving as anIELTStesting provider. Singapore International School is an international school in Da Nang.
There are over 37 ethnicities and foreigners living together in the city.Among them, theKinhethnic group is the largest with 883,343 people, followed by the Chinese with 2,974 people, the Co Tu ethnic group with 1,198 people, and other minority ethnic groups such as the Tay with 224 people, theEdewith 222 people, theMuongwith 183 people, and theGia Raiwith 154 people... the smallest ethnic groups are theChơ Ro,Hani,Si LaandƠ Đuwith only one person each.
As of April 1, 2019, there are nine different religions in the city, with a total of 77,029 people.The largest group is Catholicism with 42,690 people, followed by Buddhism with 37,220 people, Protestantism with 3,730 people, Cao Dai with 3,249 people, and other religions such as Minh Su Dao with 53 people, Bahá'í with 34 people, Hoa Hao Buddhism with 25 people, Islam with 19 people, and the smallest group, Brahmanism, with just 9 people.Da Nang is home to the first Protestant church in Vietnam, established in 1911 by missionaries from the United Evangelical Missionary Alliance (CMA).
Đà Nẵng is at the end of theEast–West Economic Corridor(EWEC), which stretches over Vietnam,Laos, Thailand, andBurma (Myanmar).The city Department of Transport has askedYokohama City, Japan, to cooperate in transit-oriented development.
Da Nang International Airport, located at the centre of the city, is the third largest international airport in Vietnam. It is an important gateway to access central Vietnam. The airport was known asDa Nang Air Baseduring theVietnam War, during which time it was described as the world's busiest airport.During the month of May 1968, the base reached an average of 2,595 air traffic operations daily, more than any airport in the world.As of June 2011, the airport has domestic connections toHanoi,Ho Chi Minh City,Haiphong,Vinh,Buon Ma Thuot,Da Lat,Nha Trang, andCan Tho, as well as international connections toSeoul(South Korea),Tokyo(Japan),Singapore, andTaipei(Taiwan).
Beginning 16 December 2011,Air Asia, a Malaysianlow-cost carrier, began offering four flights a week between Đà Nẵng and Kuala Lumpur. A new international terminal opened in December 2011allowing further connections to destinations such asPhnom Penh(Cambodia), Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.
As of November 2015, Da Nang International airport has been undergoing extensive renovations.
Da Nang is a major station along theNorth–South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express.
National Highways1and 14B run through the city, providing road connections toHanoiin the north andHo Chi Minh Cityin the south, as well as the Central Highlands andLaosto the west. TheHai Passis a mountain pass separating Da Nang andHuế, where Highway 1A passes through. To cut down on transit time and the danger to motorists from navigating the twisting mountain road, theHải Vân Tunnelwas built, opening in 2005. It is the longest tunnel in south-east Asia at 6.28 km, and allows motorists to save between 30 minutes and an hour on traveling times over the old Hải Vân Pass route.Anexpresswaybetween Da Nang and nearby Quang Ngai has completed its construction in 2018.
Several bridges cross the Han River and its tributaries in Da Nang, including the iconicHan River Bridge,Tran Thi Ly Bridge,Nguyen Van Troi Bridge,Tuyen Son Bridgeand the recently completedThuan Phuoc Bridge, which is the longest suspension bridge in Vietnam.TheDragon River Bridgewill cross the Han River at the Le Dinh Duong/Bach Dangroundabout, offering tourists coming from Đà Nẵng International Airport a more direct route to My Khe and Non Nuoc beaches, along the city's eastern edge.
Da Nang's port system is the third largest inVietnamafterHo Chi Minh CityandHaiphong. In 2008, Da Nang's port handled 2.7 million tons of cargo, of which 1.2 million tons were exports, 525,900 tons were imports, and 985,600 tons were domestic cargo. Over 29,600 passengers passed through the port in 2008, a significant increase over previous years.The port system consists of two areas: Tiên Sa Seaport, and Song Hàn Terminal. Tien Sa Seaport has a navigation depth of 11 m (36 ft), and is able to receivemedium rangetankers of up to 45,000DWT, as well as container ships and large cruise ships. The approach to Song Hàn Terminal is 12 nmi (22 km) long with a navigation depth of 6–7 m (20–23 ft), and can accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 DWT. Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) is the port authority for Đà Nẵng's port system.
Despite the fact that the port's infrastructure is not specifically designed to accommodate cruise ships, the number of large cruise ships docking at Da Nang Port has increased in recent years.In the first two months of 2010 alone, 12 cruise ships docked in Da Nang, carrying 6,477 passengers.
Cruise ships also dock atChân Mây Port,which is located 50 km from Da Nang through theHải Vân Tunnel.
Da Nang istwinnedwith:
In addition to its twin towns, Da Nang cooperates with:
! People's Republic of China