Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) are five hills made from limestone and marble 8 km off the Da Nang Beach coastal road, named after five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. According to myth, the mountains are the remains of the dragon’s eggshell that hatched a beautiful girl. The place has a rich cultural and historical value, represented by multiple caves and shrines and distinctive fauna and flora. The area specializes in marble sculpture, and you can support local people by buying souvenirs from them or giving a small tip to children who offer their services as tour guides.
There are many exciting points here like Buddhist sanctuaries, and places of worship or holes made by Vietnamese soldiers who spied on US troops on My Khe Beach. You can even see an impressive circular cave here. It leads to the summit, where you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views.
Water Mountain is famous for its gorgeous and sacred system of pagodas and shrines both on the ground and inside the caves. While it might be hard to see all of the attractions, you should definitely visit this one. Water Mountain is where Tam Thai Pagoda is situated, and it is praised for its excellent cultural values. Further, you will get to the Huyen Khong Cave, which was a secret base for the local revolutionary officers in wartime. This is a cave where you can admire a beautiful Buddha statue and how light moves through the cave, shining on the statue and creating a remarkable spectacle of light. Next, there is a Hell Cave where you can find the illustration of Karma. Going through this place feels dark, humid, hellish, and straight-up scary. It truly represents hell, with creatures hiding in the dark and stairs that lead to creepy scenes.
You could spend all day wandering in the area and visiting all 5 hills which is quite a workout, so wear comfortable shoes. Getting there early in the morning is a good idea to avoid scorching hot temperatures and crowds from various tours. The opening time is 7 a.m. and you must but tickets to visit Water Mountain, Hell Cave or use elevator instead of stairs, but ticket prices are low.
