Danang is one of the most attractive cities rich in landscape beauty and culture, and hence one of the best places to visit for photography tourism. Therefore, this article looks at the best places for photography tours in Danang, as it highlights some of the most popular sites to capture photos.
Danang is best for photographers since it suits both amateurs and professionals due to the numerous beautiful sites that can be photographed. From the beauty of various architectural works to the natural landscapes, the city shelters many beautiful and unique places to enhance photography hobbies or careers.
Golden Bridge (Cầu Vàng)
Golden Bridge
Overview
The Golden Bridge is a well-known landmark all over the world. It is located in Sun World Ba Na Hills, Vietnam. Being situated 1,400 meters above sea level, it is held with two giant stone hands, which creates a fantastic look at the heart of the mountains. It is a 150 meters bridge, which provides an amazing view of the mountains and forests around. No wonder that this location attracts thousands of photographers from all over the world to see and capture this fantastic spot.
Photography Opportunities
One of the best ways to photograph the Golden Bridge is to do it in the morning or the evening. These times create soft light, so-called golden hours, which makes the pictures look perfect. I think that the best way to capture an attraction is to take a photograph exactly from the point where it seems that the hands are holding the bridge, and it is seen most clearly. From the same point, you can take a photo with a drone, which will allow you to capture the full length and beauty of the bridge.
Tips for Photographers
In my opinion, the best lens to capture the Golden Bridge is a wide angle. It will help you not to miss a single piece of the attraction and the world around you. I also recommend taking a drone with you, as I already mentioned, it helps capture the entire length of the bridge. It is also important to mention that this is a very popular curiosity among tourists and to see the quiet atmosphere, you need to be patient, and visit it at the weekends in the early morning.
Cultural and Historical Context
According to the local landscape architecture company TA Landscape Architecture, which designed the Golden Bridge, they intended to create an image of a golden road, which is held over the mountains by giant hands. Some prestigious world awards and nominations recognized their work, such as the Grand Prix of the annual competition Landscape and Architecture Design and the top position in the list “The World’s Greatest Places 2018” by Time Magazine.
Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)
Marble Mountains
Overview
The Marble Mountains are composed of five separate marble and limestone hills just south of Da Nang. Each mountain is representative of one of the five elements, namely metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. Well-known for its natural beauty, these mountains have multiple cave systems and ancient pagodas that create an ideal spot for photo tours.
Photography Opportunities
There are several picturesque locations to take photos of the Marble Mountains. Among others, there is Huyen Khong Cave – a place of masterful floor and ceiling work with the light playing off the shadows and the long corridors leading into the other caves. Another place to visit is the Linh Ung Pagoda, which is extremely appealing because of its outstanding architecture. Finally, the view from the top of Thuy Son Mountain is indeed a must-capture with its opportunity to see all five of the mountains.
Tips for Photographers
To capture the beauty of the Marble Mountains, the photographer needs a tripod to be able to record all the small details in caves. A wide-angle lens is also suitable in this case to be able to capture as many of the views as possible. Lastly, a photographer needs to visit the mountains as early as possible, since the daylight is soft and not as damaging to the work. Additionally, there are generally fewer tourists in the morning. Lastly, it is also vital to be able to predict the changes in lighting in caves that can create a dramatic effect.
Cultural and Historical Context
The Marble Mountains are not only a place of natural beauty but history as well. Being a site of pilgrimage for centuries, Marble Mountains still attract numerous Buddhists who come there to visit the variety of pagodas and shrines. The Mountains represent several historical artifacts and inscriptions that give the ability to trace back the cultural history of Vietnam.
Dragon Bridge (Cầu Rồng)
Dragon Bridge
Overview
Dragon Bridge is an impressive and unusual engineering structure in Da Nang that symbolizes power, nobility, and good luck. It is a 666-meter bridge over the Han River, designed to look like a big golden dragon, which has always been an important part of Vietnamese culture. Undoubtedly, this attraction represents one of the most imposing and recognizable pieces of modern architecture, playing an important role as a part of the city’s infrastructure.
Photography Opportunities
It is possible to take a lot of photos on Dragon Bridge, but the most exciting ones can be taken during its night shows, involving real fire. To be able to shoot great photos during fire-breathing, go to the riverbanks: from this viewpoint, the images would look most spectacular. The other good spot is the bridge itself: there are a lot of cafes along, where you can have a drink and a good view. However, you are welcome to find your original position.
Tips for Photographers
Take a tripod with you, as night photo sessions may be quite slow. Also keep in mind the low ISO and slow shutter speed, which will help you create the most dramatic images with bright lights and a blurry motion of the fire wave. The best way to avoid crowds is to come earlier and explore some less popular places along the river.
Cultural and Historical Context
Dragon Bridge was built in 2013 as a part of the celebration of the 38th Anniversary of the City’s Liberation Day. Overall, this engineering structure plays an important role in the history of Da Nang, as since the bridge construction the city’s transport system has become much more advanced. In addition, building a dragon symbolized the eagerness of a big fire-paying western city to prosper and protect the inhabitants.
APEC Park (Công viên APEC)
APEC Park
Overview
APEC Park is a modern city park in Danang, standing near the Han River and the Dragon Bridge, one of the most famous places in the city. The most distinguishable feature of APEC Park is its architectural design, which represents an irregularly shaped roof in the form of a kite, an abstract variant of the symbol of the aspirations and dynamics of the city, in which it is located. This is a place where people come to relax every day and, as a public space, demonstrates many aspects of urban life.
Photography Opportunities
The park’s design within the city and its architecture as such opens many opportunities for photographers; the most favorable time to take pictures is at night, when the park is illuminated, as in this case, various lighting becomes a unique spectacle for visual perception. The most successful photographs can be taken in the central part on the background of a central sculpture, as well as on the paths between the parts of the park located under the kite-shaped ceiling.
Tips for Photographers
To take a picture of the whole from the top point in the park hall, a tripod, and a wide-angle lens are useful. From a lower point of view, the shooting of specific parts of the structure, or when making still life, is better to take with a long-focus lens. For art photography, it is useful to try to consider various compositions and angles. The best time to come for photos is in the evening when the lighting peculiarities of the park are especially clearly visible.
Cultural and Historical Context
The importance of APEC Park in the cultural and urban life of the city is that it was built to commemorate the APEC Summit, which was held in Danang in 2017. This new public space is intended to emphasize the city’s ties with international cooperation and its future.
Moon Castle (Lâu đài Mặt Trăng)
Moon Castle
Overview
The Moon Castle is a fantastic architectural site situated in Sun World Ba Na Hills. This marvelous work of architecture combines the elements of Gothic and fancy. The mood created by the site is that of a fairy tale. The area covered by the site is vast, and the pieces of work on the castle are extraordinary. The photovoice have their major share of clicks in the Sun World Ba Na Hills.
Photography Opportunities
The site is mesmerizing and presents the photograph with ample opportunities. The best places to capture the pictures are as follows:
- Moonlight Square: A static site that is peaceful and lightened brilliantly in the evening.
- Dragon Cave: A mysterious cave is lightened with fancy lighting and decoration.
- Wolf Den: A place that appreciates horror putting the stone carvings to be on click.
- Owl Library: Known to be a place for peace and tradition, this library can be a site for photography.
The morning time and the late evening time can provide photographers with soft, golden light that beautifully reflects and views the photovoice with a great art boost. At this time, the castle’s detailing and elegance are more vivid in the pic.
Tips for Photographers
To show the majesty of the Moon Castle, one should follow several recommendations:
- Camera settings: To take a picture of the castle properly, one should use a low ISO and a big aperture. The first will help to reduce the noise, and the second will allow focus on a small detail of the construction while the rest will be blurred.
- Lighting: Also, one should adjust one’s camera depending on the available light. Thus, in the Dragon Cave, the light is bad, so it would be necessary to use a tripod and a big exposition. The first will help one to take a definitive and clear image; the second will provide it with bright light.
- Angle: Finally, one should choose the angle to take the picture. A wide angle will help to include the whole castle into the picture while due to the usage of a microlenses, one would be able to show the whole greatness of a single decoration.
Cultural and Historical Context
Moon Castle is a richly detailed homage to a variety of myths and legends, aimed at providing a magical and immersive experience to tourists. It is one of the newest additions to Sun World Ba Na Hills, which heavily invests in the expansion and enhancement of its thematic and entertainment offerings. As such, it is a crucial destination for a tourist visiting Ba Na Hills, enhancing the regional appeal for Danang tours. In other words, the castle is not only an example of a highly immersive and picturesque viewpoint that attracts the viewers but also serves as an architectural element promoting the region’s distinctiveness and appeal.
Conclusion
As the list above shows, Da Nang is a city full of unique and memorable opportunities for a photographer. However, the one common element in all of those is the chance to become acquainted with one or another aspect of the region’s culture. The Golden Bridge with its awe-inspiring size and beauty and the APEC Park with its modern elegance offer a variety of different surroundings for the photo artist to shoot but both undeniably belong to Da Nang. The Moon Castle is similar, with its uniquely magical appearance meaning that those visiting it are in Da Nang, Vietnam. As such, it is hardly possible to go wrong with any of these three places for photography tours in Danang – all of them are going to offer a plethora of beautiful and mind-blowing images. Don’t forget to regularly follow our Fanpage for more interesting information about traveling Danang to and to book Danang Tours at the best prices.