Stroll through thousand year old sediment

Located in the central latitude of Vietnam, Da Nang and Hoi An are like a pair of geographical and historical cards, a charming museum of the past and present. The two cities are only about 30km apart, captivating visitors with the story of a Quang region containing sediments of thousands of years, from the traces of the capitals of the Champa kingdom to the two Chau O - Ly of the Tran dynasty, to then being important citadels and trading ports in the following centuries.

The two cities were soon exposed to Western waves, bearing international names on the world maritime map such as Tourane and Faifo, bringing Vietnam into the orbit of the East-West encounter for hundreds of years. The influx of people from all over contributed to the land a special diversity, a mixture of Vietnamese, Cham, Chinese, Japanese, French and many Western countries, making the local culture open and adaptable.

The gradual retreat into the background of the flow of exchange is fortunate for Faifo or Hoi An when preserving the old town scene by the Hoai River full of nostalgia for the golden age. Tourane, or Da Nang, continues to play the role of the gateway to the Central region, quickly accepting modern trends to now become one of the most bustling destinations in the country and the whole Southeast Asia.

The two cities are like a pair of lovers, located next to cool rivers and bays bustling with boats, facing the East Sea with beaches considered the most beautiful on the planet. The Truong Son range, after jutting out into the sea with Hai Van Pass and Son Tra Peninsula, is where the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers originate, creating a fertile plain for fields, fruit trees and villages that have gathered for many generations. Nature has favored Da Nang and Hoi An with mountains, forests, rivers and islands, like the immortals of a legendary time, happily walking down the thousands of miles from the mountains to the plains, out to the open sea, like a string of pearls with names sparkling with golden sand (Hoang Sa archipelago) or reminiscent of indigenous culture (Cu Lao Cham).

If Da Nang is like a strong young man with modern style, big houses and big streets with many bridges across the river and the ocean, then Hoi An is a gentle and shy girl with mossy tiled roofs on peaceful streets. Coming here, you can taste the true delicacies, all fresh under the sunlight.

Is there any place where you can explore as many layers of culture and diverse experiences as this “golden couple”? The lovely beauty of these two places also generously contains many things for us to visit many times, to enjoy the love song of nature and people. Let’s take a walk with Vietnam.vn through this thousand-year-old sedimentary land in the July-August 2024 issue of Heritage Magazine.

Heritage Magazine