Da Nang Port lies at the south end of a bay off the South China Sea in east central Vietnam some 622 kilometers north-northeast of Saigon Port in Ho Chi Min City. One of the country's biggest cities, Da Nang Port has an excellent harbor enclosed to the east by the Tien Sa Peninsula and Cape Da Nang. In 2008, about 900 thousand people lived in Da Nang Port.

In addition to being one of the country's major container ports, Da Nang Port is an industrial city with a fast-growing economy. The major products produced in Da Nang Port's 4900 factories are seafood, furniture, household goods, and clothing. Tourism is also important to the local economy.

Da Nang Port was first ceded to France in 1787, but it was not part of the French protectorate. Called Tourane by the French, Da Nang Port was, however, a French concession outside the protectorate. When Vietnam was partitioned in 1954, Da Nang Port grew in importance.

In the 19th Century, the Nguyen Dynasty ruled that all western cargo vessels could only trade at the Han estuary, making Da Nang Port a center for foreign trade. Da Nang Port also benefited from the silting up of the Co Co River, ending the advantage of the commercial port at Hoi.

Under orders from Napoleon III, French troops landed in Da Nang Port in 1858, beginning the French colonial occupation of the city. It was soon one of five major cities in Indochina.

During the United States' Vietnam War, the city held a major US air base, and Da Nang Port facilities were expanded by the Americans.

In the 1960s, a new modern textile mill was added to the traditional textile and silk-spinning facilities in Da Nang Port. Beverage-making plants and machinery appeared in Da Nang Port in the 1970s. In 1976, a new hospital and polytechnic college were established in the city, and Da Nang Port was linked to Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon) by both highway and rail.

Until 1997, Da Nang Port was part of Quang Nam-Da Nang province. In 1997, the city became Vietnam's fourth independent municipality, being separated from Quang Nam Province.

After a century of growth and development, Da Nang Port has become the busiest port in central Vietnam and a vital component of the regional and national economy. Recognized by the government for its outstanding performance, Da Nang Port has also become one of the country's most modern ports. As the gateway to trade for the East-West Transport Corridor that includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, Da Nang Port is an import-export center serving central Vietnam and the country's highlands.

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