Da Nang's Marble Mountains: A Tiring but Beautiful Climb
My first destination in Da Nang was the Marble Mountains. It's called Ngu Hanh Son in Vietnamese, Marble Mountains in English, and Ohaengsan in Korean. Usually, names across different languages share a similar meaning even if the pronunciation differs, but for this mountain, both the meanings and pronunciations are completely different. It's also known as the setting for Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), so I originally planned to climb it when I had the most energy. Instead, things didn't go as planned, and I ended up visiting when my stamina was at its lowest. I was honestly worried about how I was going to make it up this mountain.
For those who absolutely hate climbing, there is an elevator available. As shown below, the price is 15,000 VND (about 800 KRW) one way. It's so cheap that it's tempting to take it, but we stubbornly decided to walk. Once we started, we realized that reaching the elevator's drop-off point just requires trudging up some stairs, so unless you have joint issues, it's an easy enough walk. That said, it's not so easy that you could do it in dress shoes. Because the ground is made of marble, it's incredibly slippery, meaning you have to put extra strength into your steps.
After struggling up all the stairs, a temple appears. I don't know much about temple structures, but I'm guessing it might be the main hall. This was the most crowded spot on the mountain, with people spending time offering prayers. The gardens are beautifully maintained, and the carvings on the buildings are gorgeous. The Buddha statues all look completely different from one another. Some look like they came from China, while others resemble Hindu gods. I wonder if they were brought back as spoils of war. I've seen regions with various styles of temples and statues before, but this is my first time seeing so many different styles gathered in one single place.
Walk a little further past the temple, and the real cave exploration begins. This is why there's no real need to take the elevator. You're going to suffer anyway. Some sections leading to the caves are quite dangerous, causing many people to give up and turn back. There's even a course that feels almost like rock climbing, but even if you make it through, you're just rewarded with a view of My Khe Beach and downtown Da Nang—nothing spectacular. Sure, the view is pretty, but you can easily see it from other places. Therefore, just stick to the comfortable paths; there's no need to force yourself up spots that look so exhausting they make you think, "Do I really have to go up there?"
Just about the time you start thinking you want to go back down the mountain, a truly stunning cave appears. Inside, as expected, sits a gleaming Buddha statue and an altar. When you step in, a single ray of light beams down from the sky, making you sit on a bench and stare blankly, thinking, "This place was built just to see this." It would have been great if I could have taken good pictures, but my camera wasn't good enough to capture everything my eyes were seeing. After trying hard to snap photos from different angles, I eventually just stared in awe, trying to burn the scene into my memory as best as I could. I think whoever wrote 'Heaven's Gate' on the sign I saw on the way here probably felt the exact same way.
"It's worth visiting once."
Honestly, this is the most accurate way to put it. It was nice to go and feel the calm atmosphere of the caves. But it's not called Marble Mountains for nothing. Every step feels heavy, like someone is constantly pulling you down. The biggest reason you get so inexplicably exhausted is that the ground is slippery, forcing you to keep your legs constantly tensed. It's definitely a nice place, but visiting multiple times would be too physically demanding, and there are plenty of other things to see in Da Nang anyway. Still, it is absolutely worth visiting once.