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Ancient[edit]
Main article: History of the Cham–Vietnamese wars
The city's origins date back to the kingdom of Champa, established in 192 AD. At its peak, the Chams' sphere of influence stretched from Huế to Vũng Tàu. The city of Indrapura, at the site of the village of Dong Duong in Quảng Nam Province (about 50 km (31 mi) from Da Nang), was the capital of Champa from about 875 to about 1000 AD. Also in the region of Da Nang were the Cham city of Singhapura ("City of the Lion"), the location of which has been identified with an archeological site in the village of Trà Kiệu, and the valley of Mỹ Sơn.
In the latter half of the 10th century, the kings of Indrapura came into conflict with Đại Việt, who were then based at Hoa Lư. As an independent kingdom, Champa found itself needing to defend its territory to contain the threat posed by the Khmer Empire in the west, and expand its territory to the north, hoping to conquer Đại Việt. In Đại Việt, with the kingdom in turmoil following the assassination of Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Champa made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Đại Việt in 979 possibly with diplomatic encouragement from China, and failed due to the defence of Đại Việt territory under the command of Lê Hoàn. In 982, escalating tensions led to Champa detaining three ambassadors sent by Emperor Lê Hoàn of the Đại Việt (founder of the Early Lê dynasty) were detained in Indrapura. Lê Hoàn decided to go on the offensive, sacking Indrapura and killing the Cham King Parameshvaravarman I. As a result of these setbacks, the Cham eventually abandoned Indrapura around 1000 AD.
The Điện Hải Citadel was first built in 1813 as an earthen fortress located to the north of its later position, with An Hải citadel on the east bank built by Emperor Gia Long to protect the port, and by 1819, both Điện Hải and An Hải citadels had been rebuilt in brick. In 1823, Gia Long's son and successor Minh Mạng rebuilt the original Điện Hải fortress on a mound at the later location, being upgraded from a fortress (đồn) to a citadel (thành) in 1835.
Western contact[edit]
One of the first Europeans to visit Da Nang was Portuguese explorer António de Faria, who anchored in Da Nang in 1535. Faria was one of the first Westerners to write about the area and, through his influence, Portuguese ships began to call more regularly at Hội An. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, French and Spanish traders and missionaries made landfall at Hội An. An American, John White, arrived at Da Nang (then called Turon) on 18 June 1819 in the brig Franklin of Salem, Massachusetts, and was advised that the country was recovering from devastating wars, and that what little goods had been produced in the area was already allocated. Other American ships arriving after were the Marmion of Boston, and the Aurora and Beverly of Salem.
Conditions were such due to the wars that they were unable to conduct trade, and the subsequent missions of East India Company agent John Crawfurd in 1823 and the two missions of Andrew Jackson's agent, American diplomat Edmund Roberts, in 1833 and 1836 were unable to secure trade agreements due to the “exceptionally poor quality” of the port.: pp.19–40  Following the edict of Emperor Minh Mạng in 1835, prohibiting European vessels from making landfall or pursuing trade except at Đà Nẵng, its port superseded Hội An as the largest commercial port in the central region.
French Indochina[edit]
In 1847, French vessels dispatched by Admiral Cécille bombarded Đà Nẵng, ostensibly on the grounds of alleged persecution of Roman Catholic missionaries. In August 1858, once again ostensibly on the grounds of religious persecution, French troops, led by Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly, and under the orders of Napoleon III, landed in Đà Nẵng as part of the punitive Cochinchina Campaign.
The French overpowered the Vietnamese stationed in Da Nang, occupying the city and Tiên Sa peninsula. The occupying forces were placed under siege by the Vietnamese army under the command of Nguyễn Tri Phương, and were eventually forced to retreat in March 1860. The French were able to invade the southern stronghold of Saigon and, in June 1862, some provinces of southern Vietnam were ceded to the French as Cochinchina with the signing of the Treaty of Saigon.
French warships off Đà Nẵng (Tourane) September 1858. What started as a punitive campaign against the Vietnamese, had turned into a defeat for the Franco-Spanish Force.
Bombardment of An Hải citadel and Điện Hải citadel by Franco-Spain Alliance.
Franco-Spain alliance landed on Hàn River, Đà Nẵng in morning, 2/9/1858
French marine landed on Da Nang
Điện Hải citadel after bombardment at 10 AM 2/9/1858, gun storage seized by French navy.
Plan of An Hải citadel in 1831
An Hải citadel (left) and Điện Hải citadel (right) and French warships.
The French hospital and chapel were built in Dien Hai citadel in the 20th century
Through two more decades of conflict, the French gradually strengthened their hold on Vietnam, culminating in the establishment of French Indochina in October 1887. Two years later, in 1889, the French colonists renamed the city Tourane, placing it under the control of the governor general of French Indochina.
In 1903, the colonial government authorised Société des docks et houillères de Tourane to proceed with the tramway construction, with its preliminary 9.5-kilometre stretch (between Observatory Point and Tourane Mỹ Khê) being opened on 9 November 1905. Under the state management, “Tramway de l’Îlot de l’Observatoire” opened to the public on 1 October 1907, stretching to Faifo (Hoi An) via Montagne de Marbre (Marble Mountains), operating until 31 December 1915.
Republic of Vietnam[edit]
U.S. helicopters at Da Nang Air Base, 1965
During the Vietnam War, what is later the Da Nang International Airport was the air base used by the South Vietnamese and United States Air Forces. The base became “one of the world's busiest aircraft hubs” during the war, reaching an average of 2,595 aircraft traffic operations daily, more than any other airport and airbase in the world at that time.
Marble Mountain Air Facility, constructed in 1965, was located in Da Nang.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam[edit]
Since the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Đà Nẵng has had more educational institutions and economic sites.
On October 24, 2024, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 1251/NQ-UBTVQH15 regarding the reorganization of district- and commune-level administrative units in Da Nang City for the 2023–2025 period (the resolution takes effect on January 1, 2025). Accordingly, a portion of the natural area and population size of Lien Chieu District was adjusted and incorporated into Thanh Khe District.
