Awakening Da Nang cultural tourism potential

Tourists visit the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum. Photo: Doan Hao Luong

Potential from cultural and historical relics

With the orientation of developing tourism economy on the basis of promoting cultural values, especially historical relics, in recent times, the city’s authorities have paid attention to developing the cultural sector through investing in organising many activities to preserve and promote typical cultural features, local traditions, and exploiting cultural values to serve tourism. Some relics have become venues that attract a large number of tourists and drive the city’s socio-economic development.

In addition, localities have proactively implemented projects to promote the value of relics associated with tourism development such as a project to preserve and promote the value of the Lo Giang communal house in Cam Le District, the Nam O Community Tourism Project in Lien Chieu District, putting into operation traditional art programmes such as ‘Vietnamese Soul’, ‘Tuong Xuong Pho’ (Street Tuong), ‘Bai Choi Stage’ to serve local people and tourists.

Village festivals and religious festivals are also organised on an increasingly large scale and in a systematic manner, with new features but still ensuring traditional content and meaning, meeting the aspirations of the people.

Ms. Phan Thi Xuan Mai, the Head of Heritage Management Office, the Museum of Da Nang, said: “Along with promoting the value of cultural heritage, over recent times, the Museum of Da Nang has paid attention to preserving, restoring and embellishing relics. Up to now, the city has two special national relics, 17 national-level relics, 71 city-level relics and 9 national treasures being preserved at the Museum of Cham Sculpture”

In particular, the Ma nhai’ (Inscriptions) system at the Marble Mountains site was officially  inscribed in the list of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP). This was the first regionally recognized heritage of Da Nang and was highly appreciated by members of the MOWCAP council for meeting all the criteria set by UNESCO such as authenticity and integrity; regional significance; gender significance; having a plan to preserve and promote sustainable and scientific values.

Inscriptions consist of 78 documents in Chinese and Nom characters (Sino-Nom) carved on cliffs and caves, with variety in content and literary genres, created by the kings and mandarins of Nguyen Dynasty, venerable monks and intellectuals, dating from the first half of the 17th century to the 20th century. This is a unique and irreplaceable documentary heritage, which get the attention of Vietnamese and foreign researchers by its multi-faceted values in history, religion, geography, literature, language, culture and education.

The Inscriptions on the Marble Mountains store the ‘memories’ of the economic, cultural, political and social contacts between Viet Nam and other countries on the maritime route across the region as well as the role of the Vietnamese women in the international marriages in the 17th century.

Tourists are present at the Marble Mountains scenic spot. Photo: Doan Hao Luong

Awakening cultural heritage to develop tourism

In order to exploit and promote the value of relics, the Da Nang People's Committee issued a project to preserve and promote the value of national cultural heritage in Da Nang in the 2021 - 2025 period. On that basis, the city identifies, studies, and evaluates the ability to promote the value of tourism development of the relic system in the city, focusing on evaluating the organisation of tourism space, the capacity suitable to the carrying capacity of resources, and the tourism environment at the relics.

With the set goals, the city strives to invest in completing the infrastructure for five relics with the potential for tourism development, meeting the conditions for recognition as venues according to the provisions of the Law on Tourism, including Hai Chau Village Communal House, the Tuy Loan Village Communal House, the Nam O relic cluster, the Hoa Vang District Party Committee Military Base, the An Hai and Thoai Ngoc Hau village ancestral shrines.

Quality cultural tourism products will be formed, connecting heritage sites, creating favourable conditions for the development of cultural tourism. In addition, the city will paid heed to developing, diversifying and improving the quality of tourism products based on the advantages of each locality; building and perfecting cultural tourism products, spiritual tourism associated with MICE tourism, craft village tourism, ecological tourism, resort tourism, community tourism in the direction of green tourism. In particular, it is a need to focus on creating and exploiting more effectively the scenic relics of Marble Mountains, Dien Hai Citadel, the ancestral shrines of An Hai and Thoai Ngoc Hau villages.

In particular, the city will invest in exploiting the potential and strengths of inland waterway tourism to promote the values of historical relics and traditional occupations in villages along rivers, especially the Han River - K20 revolutionary base, Cu De River tourist route and Han River - Tuy Loan - Thai Lai route.

According to Mr. Pham Tan Xu, the Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture and Sports, Da Nang shows off many advantages and potentials for developing cultural sectors, especially cultural tourism. This is one of the key areas identified as a priority for the city’s development. Some relics have become places attracting a large number of tourists, driving the city’s socio-economic development.

“In recent years, the cultural sector has initially focused on orienting the promotion of the system of relics and festivals in tourism economic activities. In addition to specialized museums, famous historical sites have contributed to the formation of key tourist attractions that greatly contribute to attracting domestic and foreign visitors," Mr. Xu emphasised.

Reporting by Doan Hao Luong - Translating by A.Thu