The Mountain of Water, Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains area near Danang is famous for stone sculpture and stone cutting crafts, there is a myriad of workshops and shops along the roads.
Marble Mountains consists of five mountains named to represent the five elements - Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. There are several Buddhist sanctuaries on and inside these mountains. Until recently stone from the mountains were used in the plentiful stone workshops of the area, realising they would end up without any mountains to attract tourists and pilgrims if they continued, the government put a stop to the use of stone from the area.
The Mountain of Water is the largest and most famous of the mountains, and is very popular with tourists. There is even an elevator to avoid a few of the first steps, though from the top of the elevator the rest of the mountain is hardly wheelchair-accessible.
Danang and what the US soldiers called China Beach - the 30 km beach stretching from Danang to Hoi An - can be seen from the mountain. The Vietcong had a base and field hospital in the caves in these mountains, with great views of the Americans and their R&R activities.
Taking a nap in one of the first temples one reaches.
Some altars have been modernised with glowing lights.
Lighting the shrines in the largest cave, Am Phu.
Selling and helping place incense.
Some daylight coming in through the ceiling of the Am Phu cave.
Donations.
Inscriptions by the entrance to a cave temple.
Detail from a shrine in one of the grottoes.