Since it was recognised as a centrally-governed city in 1997, Da Nang has been focusing on developing infrastructure, thereby forming a spacious and modern urban area. Da Nang is now listed on the world map as an attractive tourist destination.

Sun World Ba Na Hills Tourist Area is one of can't-miss destinations in Da Nang. Photo: NGOC HA

Witnessing the positive changes of the city, photographer Ong Van Sinh told a lot about the changes of the city through photos he took over 50 years ago.

Photographer Ong Van Sinh shared that the stilt houses along the east bank of the Han River had been demolished. The sandy roads that were only wide enough for one person to walk, and the makeshift fishing villages along the beaches of My Khe, Man Thai and Tho Quang, and Ha Than ferry gave way to rows of streets, avenues, buildings. The symbolic bridges of Dragon, Tran Thi Ly and Thuan Phuoc have been built one after another. All contribute to making Da Nang become a modern urban area.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dang Hoa, the owner of Han Giang Cruise, said that over the past 30 years, the number of sightseeing boat tours operating on the Han River has been increasing significantly. Additionally, there has been a construction boom in high-rise buildings, commercial and service complexes, highlight projects along tourist routes, international fireworks complex, and such architectural landmarks as Museum of Cham Sculpture, APEC Sculpture Park, Bach Dang Walking Street, Nguyen Van Troi pedestrian bridge, Dragon Bridge, and Tran Thi Ly Bridge.

Both sides of the Han River will continue to become more bustling and brilliant every day as many projects will be carried out in the coming time. Specifically, a VND 7,260 billion super project of 38 yacht marinas and developing related facilities, stretching from the Han River to Da Nang Bay and Son Tra Beach will be implemented in the 2024-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

In addition, the "River of Light" project with a total capital of VND 400 billion will enhance the landscape of the Han River at night, thereby transforming the iconic Han River into a spectacular river. The artistic lighting system on bridges, riverside landscapes and green parks will turn the Han River into a "grand stage of light", combined with cultural and entertainment activities, all creating a unique tourist highlight and promoting the night-time economy in the city.

Moreover, Da Nang has just approved the construction of a tunnel across the Han River in the 2021-2030 period with a design of 3 lanes in each direction. The tunnel is envisaged to start at the intersection of Dong Da and Tran Phu streets in Hai Chau District, cross through the Han River, and end at the intersection of Van Don and Tran Hung Dao streets in Son Tra District.

Once completed, the tunnel not only completes the traffic network but also creates favourable conditions to promote tourism and economic activities in the east side of the city.

In recent times, large domestic and foreign companies and economic groups such as Sun Group, Vin Group, Aeon, Samsung and Lotte have deployed a series of iconic works, and large-scale entertainment, service and resort complexes. Included are Golden Bridge, Sun World Ba Na Hills, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, and the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival. Thanks to that, Da Nang has been reaffirming its title of "Asia's leading festival and event destination" or "Top best destination in the world".

Da Nang now boasts a complete infrastructure of air, water, road and railway transportation. Da Nang International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country, connecting directly to many places in the world. By 2030, Da Nang International Airport targets to raise its annual capacity of handling 25-30 million passengers by expanding T1 terminal to the southeast, and building a new domestic terminal T3 with an annual capacity of 15 million passengers.

According to the Da Nang Department of Tourism, based on the existing resources, infrastructure, service systems, and planning approved by the central government, Da Nang aims for the sustainable tourism development. Da Nang has so far affirmed itself as a favourite destination chosen by domestic and foreign tourists. The number of visitors to the city is significantly increasing.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the total number of guests served by accommodation establishments in the city stood at nearly 2.54 million, up over 19% over the same period last year. Nearly 1.27 million of them were foreigners, a rise of more than 42%, whilst domestic visitors were around 1.27 million, an increase of nearly 3%.

The city’s revenue from accommodation and catering services in the first 3 months of this year hit nearly VND 7,400 billion, accounting for 20% of the total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue, up 20% over the same period last year.

Reporting by NGOC HA - Translating by M.DUNG