Da Nang
(2002 pop. 446,000). Da Nang is a large city located on the central coast of Vietnam 973 kilometers (603 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh City and 30 kilometers (17 miles) north of Hoi An. It became an important port city at the end of the nineteenth century after Hoi An's access to the ocean, via the Thu Bon river, was filled in by silt runoff. In 1888, the French seized control of Da Nang, which they called Tourane, from Vietnamese emperor Gia Long after he reneged on a promise to assist them in Vietnam. During the first part of the twentieth century, the city was second only to Saigon as Vietnam's busiest port and most cosmopolitan city. Da Nang received much attention from both France and the United States during the ensuing wars in Vietnam. Da Nang, only 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of the Demilitarized Zone, was the first place U.S. military forces landed in Vietnam in 1965 and was the home of a large U.S. Air Force base from which bombing missions were launched against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). The influx of thousands of military personnel brought about rapid growth to the city both in population and in various businesses. Many South Vietnamese refugees used Da Nang as a staging area for escape from the country when the DRV took over the surrounding areas in 1975. Today Da Nang, still with its French and American vestiges in the form of wide avenues, old villas, and diverse entertainment, is only a remnant of its former bustling self.
Further Reading
Admiralty, Naval Intelligence Divison, Great Britain. (1943) Indo-China. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Geographical Handbook Series, B.R. 510.
Cima, Ronald J., ed. (1989) Vietnam: A Country Study. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Guillon, Emmanuel. (2001) Cham Art: Treasures from the Da Nang Museum Vietnam. Bangkok, Thailand: River Books.
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