In the past, Quang Nam was where traders and travelers from all over the world entered Vietnam. The seafaring Cham people established a thriving capital along the Thu Bon River, and built magnificent Hindu temples in the forests. Foreign crafts, cuisine, and architecture mixed in the ancient riverside port of Hoi An, creating a colorful fusion of culture found nowhere else. Ethnic groups from across the border settled amid the western hills and mountains, keeping their unique traditions and beliefs alive through the decades.
Travelers today get to explore all these stories and more. Get a taste for what awaits you in Quang Nam by exploring the 360-degree tours below. Just click on the images to start the tour. You can navigate between points in the tour, or just sit back and watch each panorama unfold. Click on the video and information buttons within the tour to find out more about each destination.
Witness the past in the Hoi An Ancient Town
Start your tour watching the sun rise on the tiled roofs of the Ancient Town, with tiny sampans crossing the Thu Bon River. Check out the graceful arch of the Japanese Bridge, and spot the locals sipping coffee along the riverfront. Hoi An’s scarlet silk lanterns, mustard-yellow walls, and bright pink bougainvillea are on full display across the main streets and intersections.
Take a moment to appreciate the ornate entrance ways of the Chinese assembly halls, with their climbing dragons and intricate lettering. If you like, you can look inside the halls where you’ll find beautiful tiled floors, painted columns, and coils of incense. Finish up along the river again, where cyclos, bicycles, and boats are the preferred mode of transportation.
Read more: The architecture of the Ancient Town
Immerse yourself in nature in Dong Giang District
It’s morning in the misty mountains of Dong Giang. The tour begins in Dong Giang’s tea hills, a sensuous landscape of curving rows of tea bushes, which look especially wonderful when seen from above. High above the forested hills, you might be able to track the Kon River as it snakes through the valley. Perched on a boulder, you’ll have a perfect view of A-Reec Waterfall, close enough to see the sunlight through the rock pools and the pebbles in the rushing stream.
Don’t forget to visit Bho Hoong Village, where the Co Tu ethnic community have built tidy thatched houses for visitors. The Guol communal house stands in the center of the village, with an expertly carved panel of wood on its facade.
Read more: Discovering Dong Giang District
Get lost in the magical ruins of My Son Sanctuary
Long ago, a French ethnologist discovered a series of Hindu temples buried in a valley near a village called My Son. Today, the ruins of those temples are on full display at My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with structures dating as far back as the 7th century. Get a bird’s eye view of the My Son complex, before going in for a closer look at the original brick work, bas-reliefs and sandstone sculptures in the B and C temple groups.
Step inside a former mandapa hall, once used for public ceremonies, to see an array of artifacts found on site, each one carved centuries ago by Cham craftsmen. Look around the ruins of the E and F temple groups, which were heavily bombed in 1965, before visiting the foundations of the G temple group, which were partially restored by a team of Italian conservationists.
Read more: 5 sights to discover at My Son Sanctuary
Find your spot in the sun on the Cham Islands
Rocky boulders, sandy beaches, forested hills – the Cham Islands are blessed with raw natural beauty, and boast the highest biodiversity anywhere in Vietnam. Take a peek at the glimmering turquoise water on Bai Nan Beach, a hidden stretch of sand accessible only from the water.
In the main coastal village of Bai Lang, colorful flags flutter from a bamboo bridge, and round basket boats dot the sand and the bay. Visit Hai Tang Pagoda, once an important place of worship for traveling merchants, then head back to the blissful beaches of Hon Lao, where there’s not a soul in sight, and you can almost touch the seashells washed up on the sand.
Read more: A traveler’s guide to the Cham Islands
Mingle with the locals in Hoi An City
See Hoi An beyond the Ancient Town and get up close with local life around the city. Begin on the Thu Bon River for a panoramic view of Hoi An and its gleaming waterways. Walk the narrow streets of Ancient Town to reach Hoi An’s old market, where merchants used to gather and trade goods from all over the region centuries ago. These days, you can find tasty lunches, fresh produce, and friendly vendors along these shaded paths. Nearby Teochew Assembly Hall is one of Hoi An’s most stunning structures built by early Chinese migrants. For a change of scenery, head to Bay Mau nipa palm forest in Cam Thanh for a basket boat ride with local fishermen, or learn about traditional farming on Tra Que islet. End your tour on An Bang Beach, a favorite spot for locals and travelers to kick back, soak up the sun, and catch some waves.
Read more: How to spend a perfect day in Hoi An
Tours created by Igor Imranshoev of Halo Digital Media for Visit Quang Nam.