Time to rock it from the delta to the DMZ! Is that me, or does that sound like an Elvis Presley movie? Viva Da Nang. Oh, viva, Da Nang.

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Beautiful Old Photos (And A Short History) Of Da Nang

Friday, 22 August 2014. Written by Brian Letwin

Da Nang’s history can be traced back to 192AD when it was part of the Champa Kingdom, only becoming part of Vietnam after the culmination of Đại Việt Southern expansion in the 15th century.  

Portuguese explorer, António de Faria, anchored in Da Nang in 1535 and was one of the first Westerners to visit and write about the area. His descriptions resulted in frequent visits by Portuguese traders to neighboring Hoi An, which, at the time, was an important international port.

The town got a major boost in 1835 when Emperor Minh Mạng forbade all trade with the West with exception of Da Nang’s Han Port, making it the main commercial port in Central Vietnam.

The French, who arrived about 10 years later, failed in their first attempt to take control of the city but returned not long after, in 1887, after capturing Saigon (1859) and establishing the Union de l’Indochine Française.

2 years later, the occupiers renamed the city Tourane and quickly became one of the most important French assets in the region.

Following the departure of the French, the city became a major base of operations for the American military during the American War.

Today, the city is one of the most prominent in Vietnam, known for its beaches and massive urban growth (oh, and free WIFI).

Da Nang of course is famous for being the place the first U.S. combat troops (Marines) stormed ashore on March the 8th 1965 to be met not by hostile machine guns but the Mayor of Da Nang and a troop of schoolgirls who welcomed them with garlands of flowers – it didn’t last long!!

This is a Russian built Mig 21 as supplied to the Peoples Republic of Vietnam. Today it sits peacefully in a little known museum around the back of Tan Son Nhat Airport Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon, along with these:-

It’s a strange place, it doesn’t cost any money to get in. Nobody is around. Inside is very dark and is basically a very large two level photo gallery depicting the ‘Heroic’ North Vietnamese Aviation history. It is of course guarded by ‘Bac Ho’ – see below.

“Mantovani? They feed Mantovani to insomniacs who don’t respond to strong drugs!”
ROBIN WILLIAMS – Adrian Cronauer

Love and peace John (Not much of it in Ukraine at the moment. How can this be happening in 2022?)