Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son)

The Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills in Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang, about 8 km southeast of the city centre. Named after the five elements Kim, Moc, Thuy, Hoa and Tho, the site is known for its natural caves, tunnels, Buddhist pagodas and panoramic viewpoints. It combines karst landscape with religious heritage and is a major scenic and cultural attraction between Da Nang and Hoi An.

Visitors can explore the largest hill, Thuy Son (Water Mountain), via steep stone steps or an elevator, discovering natural caves such as Huyen Khong and Am Phu, historic Buddhist pagodas including Linh Ung, Tam Thai and Xa Loi, stone sculptures and viewpoints over the coastline and Da Nang. The site includes narrow cave passages, shrines, statues, and landscaped paths surrounded by marble carving workshops at the base.

The five hills are named after the five elements and were named Ngu Hanh Son by Emperor Minh Mang of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1825. The area has Cham cultural roots and later developed as a Buddhist religious site with pagodas built from the 17th to 19th centuries. The caves and mountains have served as religious retreats and landmarks over centuries.

A significant Buddhist pilgrimage and cultural site with active pagodas, shrines and statues within natural caves. The mountains embody the five-elements philosophy and are closely associated with the traditional marble sculpture craft of Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village at their base, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage craft.