The caves
Light through the roof.
Kuroczynski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mig Gilbert from Brighton — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mig Gilbert from Brighton — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mig Gilbert from Brighton — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chrismiceli — CC0
The Marble Mountains, Ngu Hanh Son in Vietnamese, are a cluster of five marble and limestone hills on the southern edge of Da Nang, about 9 km from the city centre and 16 km from Hoi An in a straight line, close to the beach. Each hill is named after one of the five elements: Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). All of them have cave entrances and tunnels, and Thuy Son is the one visitors climb, with pagodas and grottoes along its paths. The area is known for stone carving, although quarrying the hills themselves is now banned. In 2019 the site was named a special national relic. Jagged white-grey crags rise abruptly from the flat coastal plain, half covered in trees. Inside, shafts of daylight fall through openings in the cave roofs, and from the summit lookouts the view takes in the city, the other four hills and the coast. A stairway of 156 steps leads to the top of Thuy Son, and there is also a lift. The paths are steep and uneven, so sturdy shoes help. Stone-carving workshops line the road at the foot of the hills. Go early in the morning to beat the heat and the tour groups.
Light through the roof.
City and coast.
At the foot of the hills.
Ngu Hanh Son, south of central Da Nang, Vietnam
Yes, alongside the stairs.
Early in the morning.