Square: 1283,4 km – Population: 1.047 million (2015)
Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam in terms of urban population and one of the major port cities, in addition to Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong. Situated on the coast of the Eastern Sea, at the opening end of the Han River, it is the biggest city in Central Vietnam.
As one of the developing cities, Danang is a bridge of economic, cultural, political and social characteristics in the middle and Central Highlands of Vietnam. Danang city has international airport with many direct flights, a deep-sea port and the national North – South railway system of Vietnam. The inner city traffic system has been renovated and upgraded to create a new look for Danang.
HISTORY
Compared to the nearly 4,000 years of history of the Vietnamese culture, the city of Da Nang, or Danang as it was traditionally known, only dates to the early 14th century when the area was settled as a small village in the wilds of central Vietnam. It wasn’t until the 17th century that the area was settled as a port, which traded with various European and Asian merchants. This small, backwater port was annexed by the French Empire under Napoleon III in 1858, and renamed Tourane. It became one of the five major French Indochina cities, growing in size and importance.
In 1954 the French forces withdrew from all of South East Asia and an independent Vietnam was proclaimed, and the city’s name was changed to Thai Phien City. With the division of Vietnam into the North and South, it became part of the Republic of South Vietnam, and in 1965 was the location of the first landing of US forces in South East Asia. Da Nang was the scene of fierce fighting throughout the Vietnam War, notably during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Following the departure of American forces the ARVN forces defended the city until it fell to the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) in 1973.
TOURISM
Da Nang is an ancient land, the gateway to the World Heritage Road in Central Vietnam and the countries third largest city, because of its convenient air and sea connections. Located about halfway between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south, Danang is at the heart of the ancient Kingdom of Champa, the home of the Cham civilization who ruled the region for over 1,500 years. Da Nang has other various interesting attractions such as the Ba Na Tourist Resort, Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains), the Linh Ung Pagoda, Han River, and My An, Non Nuoc beaches which stretch on for dozens of kilometers.
DA NANG RANKS AS VIETNAM’S TOP BUSINESS DESTINATION
Da Nang welcomes investors with open arms and a bright business landscape, “ranking at or near the top of the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index for good governance and business-friendly policies since 2007.” In 2016, Da Nang continued its reign as Vietnam’s best place for doing its business for the third year in a row, according to an annual survey on Vietnam’s business environment.
The 2015 Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), conducted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the US Agency for International Development, rated all 63 provinces and central-governed cities in terms of ease of doing business, economic governance, and administrative reform efforts. Scoring was based on the polling of 11,700 local private and foreign companies operating in the country.
Da Nang topped the list with 68.34 points on a 100-point scale.
In addition, with its ambitious plan to build a “smart city,” Da Nang has successfully developed a model that enables quick development of high-speed online services at low-cost, particularly enabling modernization of public administration and the monitoring of the activities of the state management agencies, according to the survey.
