Tour Program
Morning pick up from Tien Sa pier (not from the boat) or hotel in Da Nang to visit Marble mountains, just off the China Beach coastal road, the Marble Mountains(Ngu Hanh Son) consist of five craggy marble outcrops topped with pagodas. Each mountain is named for the natural element it’s said to represent: Thuy Son (Water), Moc Son (Wood), Hoa Son (Fire), Kim Son (Metal or Gold) and Tho Son (Earth). The villages that have sprung up at the base of the mountains specialise in marble sculpture, though they now astutely use marble from China rather than hacking away at the mountains that bring the visitors (and buyers) in.
Continue to visit Cham museum – This fine museum has the world’s largest collection of Cham artefacts, housed in buildings that marry French-colonial architecture with Cham elements.
Founded in 1915 by the École Française d’Extrême Orient, it has more than 300 pieces on display including altars, lingas, garudas, apsaras, Ganeshas and images of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu – all dating from the 5th to 15th centuries.
The treasures come from Dong Duong (Indrapura), Khuong My, My Son, Tra Kieu and other sites.Note that the museum’s organisation and English captions could be better, so it’s worth hiring a well-informed guide (or pick up one of the guidebooks at the museum shop).
There are also exhibits focusing on Cham culture today, with a handful of contemporary artefacts and photos of the Kate Festival (the Cham New Year). Visit Han market then return to pier at 4pm. End of the trip.
