Ngũ Hành Sơn: A mountain that once had a pagoda in a cave before tourists came

Marble Mountains is a cluster of five limestone hills rising from the coastal plain southeast of Da Nang, about 8 km from the city center. The five peaks are named after the five elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Thuy Son is the largest peak and also the only one open to visitors.

What many people don't know: the caves in the mountains have been places of worship for a very long time, long before this place became a tourist attraction.

The photo above was taken from the early 20th century — a temple nestled within a rock cave, with a guardian statue standing watch on the right. The only light is what filters through a mountain crevice above. That scene essentially remains the same to this day.

King Minh Mạng visited this place many times and it was he himself who named it 'Ngũ Hành Sơn' and gave names to many caves. Before that, the local people simply called it 'Non Nước' — a name that still lives on in the names of the stone village and the beach at the foot of the mountain.

During wartime, the mountain's deep and enclosed cave system was once used as a shelter and for medical rescue. Some caves once served as infirmaries. This is a detail rarely mentioned in tourist brochures, yet it is part of the very history of the caves that visitors enter today to take photos.

At the foot of the mountain lies Non Nước, a stone carving village whose craft dates back to around the 17th–18th centuries. The artisans here originally sourced stone directly from the mountain itself; however, to preserve the heritage site, stone is now transported from other locations instead.

If going:

• There's an elevator up to Thuy Son, tickets sold separately. Without the elevator, you'll climb over a hundred stone steps — steep and slippery when wet. • Wear closed-toe shoes. Inside the dark caves, the stone floor is wet and uneven. Early morning is when sunlight slants through the cave's crevice most beautifully, and also when it is quietest. This is still an active place of worship — please dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees.

A thorough visit takes about two hours. Combining it with Non Nuoc Beach located right at the foot of the mountain is a practical choice.