Da Nang (occasionally
Danang; in
Vietnamese:
Đà Nẵng ) 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.
Geography
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 752,493 people (2003).
History
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.
Education
Danang contains 5 universities:
Danang also has over ten other colleges, and numerous high schools.
Landmarks
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.
thumb|250px|Marble MountainsThe 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.
Economy
thumb|250px|CoastThe 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.
Transportation
thumb|250px|Sông Hàn Bridgethumb|250px|Hai Van PassĐà Nẵng is on the end of the
East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) which stretches over
Vietnam,
Laos,
Thailand and
Myanmar.
By air
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)
By land
- Future Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Express Way
The city is a major station of the Unification Train system.
By sea
thumb|right|200px|Overlooking the Song Han River.The buildings were once the site of a historic French Library and School in the town Administration
The city is divided into 8 districts:
Sister cities
Media references
- Daughter from Đà Nẵng is a 2002 award-winning documentary film about an Amerasian woman who returns to visit her biological family in Đà Nẵng after 22 years of separation and living in the United States.
- When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, a 1989 memoir of a Vietnamese woman who grew up during the Vietnam War and lived and worked in a hospital in Da Nang, which makes up the majority of the book's plot
See also
