Over recent years, Da Nang has welcomed a large number of visitors from both home and abroad.  This has been mainly attributed to the city’s attractive tourism products.  Included are the weekend shows of fire breathing and water squirting at the eastern end of the Rong (Dragon) Bridge, the opening of the Han River Swing Bridge, and sightseeing boat tours operating on the river.

Shoppers at a souvenir stall at the East Sea Park in the ‘Da Nang - Summer Destination 2017’ programme

However, the city is facing a shortage of night-time shopping areas.  Meanwhile, these have become very popular with both local residents and visitors in elsewhere in the country like Nha Trang, Da Lat and Phu Quoc.

Mr Tran Luc, Deputy Director of the city’s branch of the Saigontourist travel company, highlighted the necessity of opening a night market in the city.  The market will create a combined tourist and shopping space in the inner city, thereby attracting more visitors to the city and encouraging them to extend their stay here.

An owner of a souvenir stall in the Han Market suggested that the Da Nang authorities should open a night market like that in Quang Nam Province’s Hoi An City.  The market will be a great place for local traders to introduce their local specialties and souvenirs imbued with their city’s own identity to visitors.  

In a bid to deal with the problem, last year the Son Tra District authorities developed a plan for enhancing the quality of tourism services and building a safe and friendly tourism environment in the district over the 2016 - 2020 period.  This plan included the 4.2 billion VND Son Tra Night Market project.  

Under the plan, the market will be located on a section of Mai Hac De between its intersections with Phung Khac Khoan and Ly Nam De, and along a section of Ly Nam De.  It will feature 150 stalls selling souvenirs, jewellery, fine arts products, fashionable clothes and other goods, plus there will be food and drinks areas.  Once open, it will operate from 6.00pm to 11.00pm every day.

However, the nigh market has yet to be opened because the district authorities have found it difficult to choose suitable developers.

Vice Chairman of the Son Tra District People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Nam stressed the need for the city authorities to open the Son Tra Night Market on a trial basis as soon as possible.  This will help to promote the development of local tourism and economic sectors, and to raise the number of visitor arrivals to the city.