Marble Mountains

About 9km south of Da Nangcity center, you can find a spectacular sight of the area, the Marble Mountains. It is a cluster of five marble and limestone mountains, named after the five elements of the ancient oriental philosophy: Thuy Son (Water), Moc Son (Wood), Hoa Son (Fire), Kim Son (Metal or Gold) and Tho Son (Earth). These mountains have a complicated system of caves and tunnels, which were used as hiding places and important bases for theVietnamrevolutionaries in the past.

Among the five mountains, Thuy Son, the mountain of water, is the highest and most famous one. Almost all tourists come toMarbleMountainswould climb Thuy Son. There are many caves and Buddhist temples on the mountain, with many of which can be dated back to the 17th century. After climbing up about 150 stone steps from the foot of Thuy Son, tourists can reach the most beautiful observatory spot: theRiverviewTower. It was built in the 18th century by Emperor Minh Mang, offering a breathtaking view to Kim Son, the mountain of metal, and rivers and beautiful coastal ahead.

Other places tourists may also want to visit are some villages at the foot ofMarbleMountains. These villages that have sprung up at the base of the mountains specialized in stone sculptures and handicrafts. Here you can buy many things made of marble stone, from small one like earrings, necklaces, vases to the huge sculptures of Buddha, though materials for sculpturing work now are transported from other places since direct extraction from the Marble Mountains is considered illegal.