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VietnamDescription of Quan The Am Pagoda and whether it is worth visiting
Quan The Am Pagoda is the largest Buddhist temple among all the temples of the famous Marble Mountains in Da Nang. If you are not aware, the five marble mountains of Da Nang, reflecting the five elements water, earth, metal, fire and wood, are a particularly significant place, and a large number of Buddhist pagodas (temples) are concentrated here. We counted at least 15, but there may be more.
Quan The Am is not particularly well-known among mass tourists, because when visiting the Marble Mountains, everyone immediately rushes to the well-known tourist route on Thuy Son Mountain (Ngon Thuy Son). But in our opinion, Quan The Am is definitely worth visiting. Moreover, the temple is worth visiting even independently of the tourist Marble Mountain, if you have already been there. After all, next to this temple there are two more marble mountains of fire and metal, inside and near which you can visit other amazing non-tourist places - caves, grottoes and pagodas.
The temple is very large and differs significantly in architecture from traditional temple buildings. It consists of two levels: the first floor is only for monks and believers and is usually closed, and on the second floor there is a large prayer hall with statues of the Goddess of Mercy and Buddha. In fact, this temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy Guanyin.
However, history lovers will be disappointed. This is not an ancient temple, it was built in 1960. Moreover, some of its buildings and elements are quite new. But inside the temple there is a large museum of Buddhism. But it seems to work irregularly or opens upon request. During two trips here, we were unable to get inside; it was always closed. But maybe you will be lucky, it seems to open on weekends.
In front of the entrance to the temple there is an area with marble tables and chairs where you can sit. There is a river flowing nearby, and there is a small pier. Maybe some boats dock here, but there is no real embankment.
But the main thing that cannot be missed is the cave at the base of the metal marble mountain Kim Son. The entrance to it is located on the back side of the temple. It is clearly visible, there are statues and a marble platform, perhaps for some ceremonies or religious events. The cave is not deep, its walls are partially made of smooth marble, the very same marble for which the depths of the Marble Mountains are famous.
There is always a lot of smoke from incense inside the cave because people come here to pray. At the entrance you can write a wish and leave a donation, and they say it will come true. But this is not certain. At the very end of the cave there is a narrow passage filled with water. We couldn't squeeze through there without preparation and equipment. To do this, you need to squeeze through a narrow passage in a crouched position in the water. So we leave you the opportunity to find out for yourself what lies further, if you are interested.
Half an hour is enough to visit the temple and cave. Therefore, it is convenient to combine it with a trip to the Marble Mountains, which requires half a day. If you want to see something else less touristy, there are other hidden places in these mountains. This temple is a good starting point for such a route, where you can see everything without haste and crowds. We talked in detail about local non-tourist places in the article: "Secret Marble Mountains: what tourists are not shown".
🕐 Opening Hours
During daytime. A festival is held here in March.
💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Price
Free, donations.
🚶 How to Get There
Quan The Am Pagoda is located on the outskirts of Da Nang when heading towards Hoi An on the western side of the metal mountain Kim Son (temple on the map). The easiest way to visit the Marble Mountains is to buy a group excursion from Da Nang and Hoi An. They are sold at street agencies, hotels, or online:
- 📷 Excursions in Da Nang on Trip.com
- 📷 Excursions in Da Nang on GetYourGuide
- 📷 Excursions in Da Nang Sputnik8
- 📷 Excursions in Da Nang Tripster
But visiting the temple is not included in group excursions (at least for now), so you need to either buy an individual tour (available via the links above), or come here on your own. Here are the instructions on how to do it:
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By taxi
You can order a taxi in the Grab, Xanh Sm, Maxim apps, by phone or through hotel staff. A one-way trip from Da Nang will cost from 80,000 dong, from Hoi An from 250,000. More details about Da Nang taxis can be found in our guide.
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By rented transport
Rent a motorbike in Da Nang and Hoi An from 120,000 dong, a car from 30 dollars. We have a detailed guide and video about motorbike rental in Da Nang, you can check it out, everything is there.
From Da Nang it's a 10-30 minute drive, from Hoi An 20-40 minutes. Parking is free a bit away from the mountains, 10,000 dong near the entrance, or free near souvenir shops provided that you buy something from them later.
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By bus
Attention! The old bus route No. 1 to the Marble Mountains no longer runs.
From Da Nang, bus No. 16, 02/LK-02, 06 goes here. Fare from 8000 dong. All three buses pass through the Dragon Bridge, you can board at a stop near it, here it is on the map. Bus No. 06 is a bit more convenient, it runs along the embankment and My Khe beach on Vo Nguyen Giap Street. More about Da Nang buses and how to use them is explained in a separate guide.
From Hoi An, bus No. 02/LK-02 runs. The fare is 15,000 + 8,000. The peculiarity is that this is a conditionally combined route. In Hoi An you board route LK-02, it goes to the final stop a little short of the Marble Mountains (final stop on the map). There it changes number to 02 and goes further to Da Nang, so you will need to pay for a second ticket for No. 02 another 8,000. Moreover, sometimes LK-02 does not continue further after the final stop, then you will need to get off there and wait for the next No. 02, No. 16.
Buses do not run frequently. According to the schedule every 15-30 minutes, but in fact due to traffic jams in Da Nang it can be longer. But in general this is a quite workable and inexpensive option, we used it several times. If you want to know more, read our guide to Da Nang buses.
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From Nha Trang, Hue and other resorts
It is better to visit the Marble Mountains from other resorts with an overnight stay in Da Nang or Hoi An, as it is very difficult to travel there and back in one day. It is even better to spend several days there. To complete this route, our guide "How and on what to get to Da Nang" will help you.
Directly on site, to enter the Water Mountain Thuy Son (Ngon Thuy Son), you need to purchase a ticket at the ticket office at one of the two entrances, and then go up the stairs on foot, or use the elevator for an additional fee.