Fireworks Over the Beautiful Han River

Nature has endowed Da Nang with the beautiful Han River. The city residents have turned the river into a work of art with contests of firework performances at an international level, creating its own brand. 

 “Feast” of colours
 

In 2008, with the idea of establishing a special event to make Da Nang become “A City of Events”, the local authorities asked the Prime Minister to allow the city to organize The Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC) and this proposal was accepted. Da Nang became the only area in the country to organize a DIFC event annually. After four years, the DIFC has become a great cultural and artistic event of regional and international stature, showing off the identity of the Central coastal city. It is a unique tourist attraction for domestic and international visitors.
To prepare for this special event, Da Nang selected the Han River, which flows through the city, to showcase the most beautiful and spectacular “feast” of firework performances.

During the DIFC, legendary stories about the homeland were displayed over the Han River. At the first DIFC show in 2008, the Han River reflected the sparkling colours of the fireworks show with the theme “Tien Sa Dance”. They were performed by four participating teams: Vietnam, Canada, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The shows told a tale about the Fairy, Sa and the dynamic city of Da Nang during its development.
In 2010, teams from France, the United States, Japan and Portugal together with a Da Nang team of Vietnam presented a splendid and spectacular fireworks show. At this contest, with exciting rock’n roll music, the American team fascinated viewers with a fireworks performance entitled “The Wonder of the Han River - The Wonder of Fire”. With a romantic and classical style, the French team enthralled viewers with a performance reproducing the love story “Legend of Au Co and Lac Long Quan” of the Vietnamese people. The Portuguese team presented the story “Dragon and Fire - the Birthplace of the Legend”.
The fireworks displays were accompanied by sweet melodies which were sometimes tuneful, sometimes ebullient but always creating amazing effects of sound and light on the Han River.

DIFC not only displays the beauty of fireworks and the Han River but also aims at connecting emotions and cultures. Joe Ghazzal from Malaysia, who was head of the consulting team for the annual DIFC event, said, “When we select the participating teams, we always pay attention to the harmony between the East and the West. The balance between the Asian and European teams will help viewers realize a unique connection between the artistic styles of the East and the West.”
We saw an exciting difference between the teams with these two styles. The Asian teams talked less and were enigmatic while the Western teams were enthusiastic and witty and were ready to talk about their performance. Therefore, the DIFC always shows a blend between eastern and western cultures and art. The mysterious, quiet and soft light of the eastern style and the fresh, ebullient and liberal light of the western style were displayed over the Han River, creating a “feast” of fireworks shows that amaze every viewer.
The DIFC has become a world famous brand. When referring to the DIFC, domestic and foreign tourists always talk about Da Nang, a beautiful, romantic and dynamic city on the banks of the Han River.
DIFC 2012 – COLOURS OF DA NANG
Da Nang will organize the 5th DIFC themed “Colours of Da Nang”, with the participation of the four teams which were champions in the previous contests, including Canada (2008), China (2009), France (2010) and Italy (2011), and the Da Nang team (Vietnam).
At a press conference to introduce DIFC 2012, Vo Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People’s Committee, said, “The DIFC has become an important focal point of tourism in recent years. It is the pride of the city’s government and people because it is becoming more and more professional and impressive to make Da Nang become a city of events and tourism. I am waiting for DIFC 2012 with a special excitement because it is a contest of four big names of world class.”
He also said that funds for the contest do not come from the State budget but from businesses in a voluntary spirit. The event provides a good opportunity for businesses to introduce their brands to thousands of viewers and millions of people who watch the event through the mass media.

The Cham Museum

The Cham Museum in Danang is the largest collection of Cham sculpture and artwork in the world. Whenever visiting the museum, you still perceive an individual atmosphere particular to this place, the reverie of reminiscences.

Situated in a quiet area of Da Nang City, Cham Museum was built in 1915 according to the motifs of ancient Cham Architecture. At first it was named the Henry Parmenties Museum. The museum is officially known as the Museum of Champa Sculpture. The kingdom of Champa (or Lin-yi in Chinese records) controlled what is now south and central Vietnam from approximately 192 through 1697. The empire began to decline in the late 15th century, became a Vietnamese vassal state in 1697, and was finally dissolved in 1832. At present, the museum houses 297 stone and terracotta sculptural works made between the 7th and the 15th centuries. These are impressive works typical of the Cham culture.

A Brief History of the Champa

According to Chinese chronicles, the Champa kingdom was founded in 192 A.D and had different names such as Lin-Yi, Huang-Wang and Chang-Chen. Its territories stretched from south of the Ngang Pass in Quang Binh Province to the delta area of the Dong Nai River in Binh Thuan Province. It included the coastal plains, highland and mountain ranges.

Influenced by the early Hindu civilization, the Champa kingdom was a federation of several smaller states called Mandala and comprised several ethnic groups.

The most important legacy of the Champa kingdom is located in Central Vietnam in the form of brick temples and towers which are scattered over the coastal lowlands and highlands. The structures date from between the 7th and 8th centuries to the 16th and 17th centuries and are concentrated in Quang Nam, Danang, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.

The most extensive collection of Cham art worldwide...

The Cham Museum was built in Cham architectural style, using thin lines that are simple and gentle. The museum displays an intensive and diverse collection of Champa sculpture dating from the 7th to the 15th centuries, when a matriarchal society prevailed.

The museum was established at the end of the 19th century by the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient with a collection of artifacts gathered in central Vietnam, from Quang Binh to Binh Dinh. They were then displayed at Le Jardin de Tourane on a small hill by the Han River. This is the site of the present museum. The building was designed by two French architects, Delaval and Auclair, in imitation of the most commonly used aspects of Champa towers and temples. At present, the museum displays approximately 300 sandstone and terra-cotta sculptures, among which some are made from terracotta. Most of the artifacts are masterpieces of Champa art and some are considered to be equal to works anywhere in the world. The sculptures were collected from Cham temples and towers throughout Central Vietnam, more specifically the area stretching from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan. All the sculptures are displayed in ten showrooms named after the localities where the pieces have been discovered.

After viewing the pieces in the showrooms, you can visit exterior exhibitions. The arts of the Champa were chiefly sculpture, but the sculptures are only part of the religious architecture. The temples and towers themselves are considered to be sculptural artifacts. They are decorated on the exterior of their brick walls with bas-relief columns, flowers and leaves and worshipping figures between brick pillars. The tympana, lintels and the ornamental corner pieces are of sandstones carved with the figures of gods, the holy animals of the Hindus and flowers and leaves.

The artifacts displayed at the museum are altars, statues and decorative works collected from Hindu and Buddhist temples and towers. Champa sculpture displays various styles. Sometimes they were influenced by other cultures but no matter at what period or in what style the Champa artifacts were made they always displayed original characteristics.

Visitors to the museum will have the opportunity to appreciate the eight centuries of evolution of Champa sculpture from its golden age to its decline. In their own way, the artifacts exemplify the rise and fall of the Champa civilization. When we stand before these artistic masterpieces we can comprehend the noblest ideal of art, the creation of the infinite from the finite. The eight centuries of art at the Champa museum is a thick history book reflecting the ups and downs of Champa art. From inanimate stones came living art, and from these wonderful invaluable artifacts we can get the feeling that the warmth from the Champa artists' hand is still there, on the fine skin of the stone-timeless.

The sculptures displayed here almost have the same drifting life as the very destiny of the once-glorious culture that generated them. Through the ruins of time, war and even the oblivion, such original Champa sculptures were hardly collected and brought here by many human generations. And in this systematic collection, these works of the ancient Champa artists again have a new life.

Coming to visit the museum, it seems that you can see again the glorious time of the past of a nation for whom both the passion for art and the creative talent were already at a very high level. The mysterious world of deities, the pictorial legends, the religious symbols, the curving lines of the bodies of dancing girls, the features of full swelling breasts, the smiles of a vague time, all of these are shown very lively and in much in details.

The art of Champa, although influenced by the Hindu themes of India and Southeast Asia, has many elements that make it distinctive. Temples in Champa were made of bricks. As a result, artists did not have long expanses of wall to decorate with bas-reliefs depicting Hindu epics or phases of Buddhist life as seen, for example, at Angkor Wat. The Chams incorporated their sculptures into their temple architecture by carving them separately and making them part of the construction. These carvings are classified into four main groups: Icons; Pedestals; Pediments; Fragments of architectural decorations at the base or on various ties of the temple.

Profoundly influenced by the architecture and sculpture of the Indian civilization, the ancient Champa has a vision of life and religion according to their own feeling. Such refraction brought to their world of art a subtle and distinct beauty: spiritual and very close, unique and familiar...

scenery from Ngu Hanh Son

Enjoy beauty scenery from Ngu Hanh Son

Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains) is about 8km southeast of Da Nang City. This is a cluster of five marble mountains lying close to the sea. That is why, it is dubbed Hon Non Nuoc, which means Mountain and Water in Vietnamese.

In the early 19th century, King Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty, passed by and named the five mountains as Ngu Hanh Son. He also named each of them according to one of the five elements of the universe: Kim Son (metal of gold), Moc Son (wood), Thuy Son (water), Hoa Son (fire), and Tho Son (earth). According to Oriental philosophy, metal, wood, water, fire and earth are five elements that create the universe. Five is a very important number in oriental mentality and life. And so, the five mountains that compose Marble Mountain are filled with mysterious.

Thuy Son is both the highest and the most beautiful. Marble mountains associates with many different legends. Thuy Son, covering an area of 15ha, has three peaks namely Thuong Thai, Trung Thai and Ha Thai. As a result, the pagoda built on the mountain was named Tam Thai. Thuy Son has been exploited as a popular tourist resort because of its alluring beauty. Stone steps carved into the mountain lead to Tam Thai Pagoda where Phat Di Lac is worshipped. In the past, the pagoda paid tribute to Hindu and Buddhist gods and is now dedicated to Cham deities. Also on the cliff of the mountain are such beautiful grottoes as Linh Nham Grotto, Van Thong Grotto, Tang Chon Grotto and Huyen Khong Grotto. Huyen Khong Cave was the base for Vietnamese revolutionaries during wartime.

The Marble Mountains are famous for their traditional stone engraving activities. In Dong Hai village close to Thuy Son, 600 families chisel stone producing statues, jewelry, and art work. Stone from the Marble Mountains has been exported to many countries.

Cultural and historical vestiges are still on every pagoda and tower of the early 19th century and on Champa sculptures of the 14th and 15th century. There are poets of the Le and Tran dynasty engraved on stones. All monuments such as the grave of Capital Tran Quang Khai’s mother, a temple for worshiping Ngoc Lan princess (Minh Mang King’s younger sister), autograph of conferring Tam Thai pagoda to be the national one, Da Chong tunnel, Ba Tho cave, Kim Son mountain, Am Phu cave, etc. are forceful evidences to the legendary Marble Mountains.

The stone carving village stretching along the road leading to the Ngu Hanh Son entrance is also a very attractive sight for visitors. At this village, you can admire all those wonderful works created by patient craftsmen right in front of you. All the stones for the works are taken and transferred from the Marble Mountains.

The Marble Mountains are situated between Da Nang City and Hoi An ancient town and very close to Non Nuoc Beach, which stretches for kilometres with clean and white sand and is one of the nicest beaches in Vietnam, which is very convenient for visitors who want to go climbing and bathing. Ngu Hanh Son is familiar to almost everyone who has been to Da Nang. It is so well known that many people consider it as the symbol of the area.

 

Non Nuoc Beach

Non Nuoc Beach - One of the World's Beautiful Beaches

Nuoc Beach gently slopes towards the calm, clear, blue sea; the clarity of the water attracts visitors who come to bathe and enjoy the seafood. This fine sandy beach with sunshine all the year round makes it suitable for tourism in all four seasons.

Da Nang has a coastline of 30 kilometres long, famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra and so on. Non Nuoc Beach also pertains to Da Nang Sea and has been voted as one of the most beautiful and attracting beaches of the planet, 2005, according to Forbes, the leading magazine of America. This beach has gentle slope, mild waves, and purely blue sea water during the four seasons. The unpolluted water source here has attracted a number of tourists coming to bathe, enjoy local special sea foods and take a rest for weekends. The beach Non Nước is also a place that exist precious and rare seaweeds such as gracilarias "yellow thread" and glacilaria "screw" that have high value of exporting.

With green water and white sand, Non Nuoc Beach stretches five kilometers along the shore of Hoa Hai Ward at the foot of Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains). The beach isfamous for its seaweed, which reaches exportation standards. Many five-star hotels were built in Non Nuoc to accommodate the domestic and foreign tourists in the area. Together with its feature of wave degree, climate, weather and salinity, Non Nuoc Beach is suitable for water sports, especially surfing. In 1993, there took place an international champion with the participation of nearly 40 athletes from many countries around the world.

Along the beach, on the white sand is a forest of age-old casuarinas which is shady, green and is waving in the whistling wind. This is an ideal place for resting and camping. When the darkness falls and the moon rises, you can set yourself free on smooth benches along the beach to listen to melodious sounds of the waves and enjoy the occult space.

The beach is managed by the Non Nuoc Tourism Company that has  three hotels with more than 100 rooms on the beach. They provide entertainment services including photographs for souvenir, handicraft shops, massage, restaurant, tennis and some gymnastics. A chain of tourism resorts is planned to cater for international tourists including seaside hotels and restaurants, especially an international standard golf court.

Besides convalescence and bathing, tourists to Non Nuoc Beach can also combine their journeys with traveling the relic Marble Mountains, which boast some ancient pagodas and sacred  monumental caves, go around fine art stone handicraft villages right at the foot of the Mountains or go boating on Co Co River (Stork Neck River) to enjoy peacefulness of the Marble Mountains.

 

Han River bridge

Nature has been awarded the Da Nang good for a city to stay and to enjoy the healthy fun. Han river as background for the series along streets, and always bring cool wind and moisture to propitiate the tropical sunshine.

Danang lies on the west side of the Han River and the beaches are to the east. The Song Han Bridge helps beach driven tourists to get from their hotels to the area`s famous beaches.

In the middle of the night, traffic is stopped from crossing the Song Han Bridge and it swings on its axis to allow shipping traffic to pass along the river. The Song Han Bridge in Danang is a suspension bridge that is dazzlingly lit up at night. The area around the bridge is beautifully paved into a riverside promenade and is the location of Danang`s cultural center.

Some of the pressure will soon be taken off the bridge as the Danang regional government plans to build another bridge to traverse the Han River in Danang. Once the new bridge is completed tourists will be able to leave Da Nang International Airport on Nguyen Van Linh Highway and get to the city`s beaches even quicker. The new bridge will be built in the shape of a dragon.

The Song Han Bridge was built by the people of Danang and holds a special place in their pride for their city. The bridge also has the distinction of being the first swing bridge to be built in Vietnam. The bridge is an important part of Danang`s cityscape.

 

My Khe Beach

My Khe Beach, a beautiful beach in Da Nang

My Khe Beach is recognised as one of the most ideal beach of Da Nang City, international tourists came here for convalescence and relaxation...

Da Nang has a coastline of 30 kilometres long, famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe, Nam O, Xuan Thieu, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra, Bac My An, Non Nuoc. They are calm seas with green water during four seasons, not being polluted with 60% salination and high safety. With 900 meters in length, My Khe Beach is the most crowded of Da Nang beaches and popular to local people.

My Khe Beach is located about 6km east of Da Nang and about 24km north of Hoi An. It is a nine-kilometre stretch of smooth sand with an average width between 50m and 70m. The gradient is gentle, and its sheltered position in the lee of the Son Tra peninsula softens the autumn winds that restrict swimming further down the coast.

It is an ideal and huge beach with smooth sand and a slight slope. Behind the beach is a dark green poplar forest, and beside, the Kinh River carries crystal water to the sea. The beach has coral, abundant plants and creatures along bankside and under sea. Especially, the beach is next to the city centre, in roads easy to come and by various means of transport. Sea water in My Khe is cool with little wave so you can bath all year's round, especialy in summer from May to August. The lack of large waves, less than average pollution, and an annual mean temperature around 25^oC, makes it a safe place to swim for adults and children alike.

The beach has hotels, pleasure-houses and various abundant services, creating favourable conditions for tourists to relax on the seashores. There are 50 well-equipped and comfortable bedrooms and lots of services in My Khe hotel. Many luxurious seaside villas with over 100 rooms are available for families. You can come here to play and rest at weekend. Around the hotel area, there is plenty of seafood restaurants and stalls, and large numbers of local vendors traverse the beach selling all kinds of foods and drinks. Coastal specialties like shrimps, crabs, fish, cuttles, etc. in hundreds of small shops are at reasonable price. They can be irritating sometimes – if they are too persistent, you should ignore the nuisance since that is the best strategy.

American soldiers occupied a part of the beach before 1975. They established some premises for their relaxation and recreations. With some enabling conditions such as being near the city’s center, large space, beautiful landscapes, and qualified services (hotels, restaurants, vehicles keeping site, fresh water bathing, sunshade and buoy lease), My Khe Beach is now convenient for developing kinds of services such as fishing, water-skiing, diving, yatch race and so on.

Moreover, the safeguard team of Da Nang seashore work from 5 a.m to 8 p.m every day to guarantee safety for visitors to bath and relax on the beach. There has been a steady increase in the number of tourists visiting the beach.