Da Nang, Vietnam Photo Gallery

Cham Museum, Embroidery Factory, Market, Marble Mountains, and China Beach

The Crystal Symphony docked in Chan May, Vietnam, so that guests could take shore excursions to either Da Nang, Hue, or Hoi An. We chose the 5-hour tour of Da Nang (also spelled Danang), and enjoyed the ride through the Vietnam countryside to Da Nang (also spelled Danang).

Our first stop was at the Museum of Cham Sculpture, an interesting outdoor museum with over 300 pieces from the Cham empire, dating back as far as the 7th century. Next, we watched young seamstresses perform intricate work at a local embroidery workshop. We walked through the local market, and experienced a sensory overload as we took in the many smells and colorful sights. The bus drove onto the Marble Mountains, and we watched the stone workers craft their sculptures. While there, we took time to explore one of the many Marble Mountain caves, but did not have time to get a closer look at the pagoda. Finally, we enjoyed a well-deserved rest at China Beach, which is now a resort, but was once a favorite R&R site for American soldiers during the Vietnam War..

This ornate rooftop at the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang is quite lovely and fits with the Asian architecture.

The Museum of Cham Sculpture is one of the "must see" sights of Da Nang, Vietnam.

The Chams, now one of the minority peoples of Vietnam, once lived in the lowlands of Central Vietnam. This outdoor museum has over 300 pieces of Cham sculpture, one of the largest collections in the world (along with the History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City and the Guimet Museum in Paris). The exhibits date mostly from the 4th to the 15th centuries and are done in sandstone. Many of the pieces were influenced by Hinduism or Buddhism.

The 300 exhibits of artwork in this outdoor Cham museum date from the 7th to the 15th century.

The Chams are one of the ethnic minorities of Vietnam, and once settled most of the lowlands of central Vietnam. The museum includes over 300 pieces of art. 

The women working in this shop perform intricate embroidery stitching, and many of their pieces are even two-sided.

Look at the many different thread colors this young artist is using in her piece!

The traditional Vietnamese embroidery often includes two-sided pieces such as this one.

Vietnam has horrendous traffic, most of it from motorbikes, and many accidents.

I was a little worried that the woman in the previous photo, but she escaped unscathed from the motorbikes.

Note the young woman wearing a mask. I always thought that these masks were to protect the wearer from germs or smog. However, both our guides told us that the primary reason is to protect the wearer from the sun. Pale skin is much admired by Vietnamese women.

The market was filled with fresh vegetables and every type of seafood you could imagine, many of which I wasn't even sure what they were.

The sights and smells of this market will cause your senses to go into sensory overload mode. You don't know where to look (or sniff) next!

These five hills comprising the Marble Mountains are about 7.5 miles (12 km) south of Da Nang, and are made of limestone with marble outcroppings. Each one of the hills is dedicated to one of the five traditional elements: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. The mountains have been a sacred site since the time of the Chams.

More shopping opportunities in Vietnam! These stoneworks will ship your purchase home, so you don't have to carry it. Several in our group bought sculptures.

Watching these marble craftsmen work gave me a renewed appreciation for the work of sculptors.

The Tam Thai Pagoda sits on Thuy Son hill. Although the original Tam Thai dates back to 1630, the pagoda was rebuilt by Emperor Minh Mang in 1825.

Unfortunately, our tour did not allow time to climb the 150+ steps to the pagoda. We heard the view is spectacular.

The caves at Marble Mountain are considered sacred; some of the largest were used as hospital sites during the Vietnam War.

The entrance to this Marble Mountain cave was protected by statues and included a koi pond.

This statue "greeted" (or terrified) visitors to one of the numerous Marble Mountain caves.

The Marble Mountain caves include many religious artifacts, most of which we couldn't understand.

The caves in the Marble Mountains are considered sacred religious sites.

China Beach was a favorite place for rest, relaxation, recreation, and recuperation for American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Forty years ago, China Beach was filled with American soldiers on R&R. Today it is a peaceful, quiet, almost empty beach. The white sand and ocean are quite lovely, and many resorts have sprung up along the coastline near Da Nang.