%%Situated in the middle of Vietnam, the province of Qu?ng Nam-Ðà N?ng is 760 kilometres from Hà N?i. Its provincial capital is Ðà N?ng City. Qu?ng Nam-Ðà N?ng has an important position on the north-south communication line, and is the economic and cultural centre of Central Vietnam. These are some of Qu?ng Nam-Ðà N?ng's tourist attractions : %%* Ngu Hành Son (Marble Mount) or Hòn Non Nu?c : This is a cluster of five marble mountains lying close to the sea. That is why it is dubbed Hòn Non Nu?c, which means Mountain and Water in Vietnamese. In the early 19th century, King Gia Long - the founder of Nhà Nguy?n (Nguy?n Dynasty) - passed by and named the five mountains Ngu Hành Son. He also named each of them according to one of the five elements of the universe : Kim Son (metal or gold), M?c Son (wood), Ho? Son (fire), Th? Son (earth) and Th?y Son (water). The latter is both the largest and the most beautiful. Th?y Son covering an area of 15ha has three peaks named Thuong Thai, Trung Thai and Ha Thai. Consequently, Tam Thái Pagoda on the mountain side is in dedication to Buddha Mattreya and 18 Arhats. Also on the cliff of the mountain are such beautiful grottoes as Linh Nham, Van Thong, Tang Chon and Huyen Khong. The latter was initially in dedication to Hinduist deities, then to Buddhas. The atmosphere inside it is always dry and cool. Close to Tam Thai Pagoda stand the Pho Dong Tower, Tu Tam Pagoda and Vong Giang Dai (River-Viewing Pavilion). The Linh Ung Pagoda houses a set of Arhats' statues in white stone. On the right of this pagoda is Vong Hai Dai (Sea-Viewing Pavilion) which offers a clear view of Non Nuoc Beach. Tang Chon Grotto (Truth-Storing Grotto) lies behind Linh Ung Pagoda. At the foot of Ngu Hành Son are the masons' villages of Khoan Khoai and Hoa Khue, which boast traditional marble carving. %%* Bãi bi?n Non Nu?c (Non Nuoc Beach) stretches for several kilometres north and south of Ngu Hành Son. This fine sandy beach with sunshine all the year round makes it suitable for tourism in all four seasons. %%* Ph? C? H?i An (Hoi An Ancient Town) : Situated 30 km south of Da Nang and known as Faifo to early Western traders, Hoi An was one of the major trading centres in Southeast Asia in the 16th-19th centuries. Hoi An was also an important port of call for Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and other merchant vessels in the Far East. In the town, there are one or two streets whose original structures remain almost intact. All the houses were made of rare wood and are decorated with horizontal lacquered boards and vertical parallel panels engraved with Chinese characters. H?i An is highly attractive for historical, geographic, artistic, architectural, plastic.... aspects. %%* Vi?n b?o tàng Cham (Cham Museum) was initially named Henry Parmenties Museum. At present, it houses 297 stone and terracotta sculptural works made between the 7th and the 15th centuries. These are impressive works typical of the Cham culture. * Thánh d?a M? Son (My Son Sanctuary) was once the capital of Cham Pa Kingdom (5th to 12th century). French historians called it "My Son Sanctuary" or "Valley of Kings". Most of its architectural works had fallen into ruin either through war or over the passage of time. The vestiges of 25 structures remain to this day. * Named "The first-rank imposing landscape in the world", Ðèo H?i Vân (H?i Vân Pass) situates 496m above sea level with 20km of National Highway 1 on it and 7 railway tunnels inside it. As a branch of Northern Tru?ng Son mountain chain, it has many high peaks of which the highest is H?i Vân with 1,172m in height. The mountain peak covered with clouds and the mountain foot plunged in sea, maybe the col was called H?i Vân (Sea and Clouds) for this reason. Along the mountain side are five streams running down and offering an imposing view with thousands of granite rocks eroded for thousands of years. Considered the most imposing pass below the blue firmament, H?i Vân lies unsteadily on the surface of the sea. Standing on the col, you can view Lang Cô to north, the panorama of Ðà N?ng to south, the rolling forests and mountains to west and boundless sea to east. At the foot of the col is the sandy expanse - both clean and beautiful - with the quiet framework intermingling sea, forests and mountains. * In the old days, Son Trà Peninsula was a big island with three mountain peaks (Nghê, M? Di?u, C? Ng?a). Step by step, the streams of East Sea brought alluvium to form the mushroom-shaped Son Trà peninsula that together with H?i Vân Pass bent sea into a bay called Ðà N?ng. On Son Trà mountain with 693m in height, the forests are luxuriantly green with many monkeys, deer.... Son Trà peninsula is classified among the prohibited forests with paradisaical landscapes. Legend has it that the mountain was called Tiên Sa because the fairies had often landed in this area. Son Trà mountain projects into the sea and overlooks a coastal stretch of the centre of Central Vietnam, so Ðà N?ng plays an important role in military and economic fields. The crescent-shaped sandy expanse named Nam Ô spreads from the Son Trà mountain foot towards the south, with such even sections as M? Khê B?c, M? An leading to Ngu Hành Son before projecting into the sea. Especially, any beach is good with green casuarina-trees behind it and immense sea in front of it. In the dawn mist, the peninsula is not unlike a tortoise's shell in the middle of the high sea. * Among a cluster of islands located 35km from Ðà N?ng rolling like tortoises in waves, the largest itself is called Cù lao Chàm (Cham island). With the area of 1,535ha, it includes three rocky mountains (Ngo? Long, Tiêm Bút and B?t Lao). Legend has it that it was the execution ground to Cham Pa Kingdom's prisoners. Nowadays, it is home to fishermen. The clean and beautiful beaches are Chông and Huong. The noticeable animals are yellow monkeys, yellow-legged squirrels. The valuable speciality resides in salangane with such well-known grottoes as Chà Cà, Cá, Tai and Khô. This island is abundant in coral, shellfish and lobsters.