Da Nang is a first-class city under the direct management of the central government. It is a pioneer in innovation and modern infrastructure. 

In the past, collections from land and related services always accounted for a large proportion of the city’s budget. However, some problems and shortcomings, especially in land allocation to project developers and land leasing, have been exposed.

Because of legal problems, a lot of projects located on ‘golden land plots’ have been left unused, which is a big waste of land resources. The city is now working to remove obstacles related to projects and land cited in post-inspection conclusions and judgements by the courts.

Abandoned "super projects" in Da Nang

Located on Nguyen Tat Thanh Avenue, adjacent to Hai Chau and Thanh Khe districts, the Da Phuoc international urban area project, covering an area of 181 hectares (now The Sunrise Bay project), and the Thanh Binh coastal villa and townhouse area, ​​29 hectares, (now Da Phuoc New International Urban Area) were approved by Da Nang People's Committee in 2005, with a total investment of more than $300 million.

These are two separate projects, but they both belong to the detailed planning of the Da Phuoc Golf Course and Urban Area Complex.

The sea-encroachment super-project, which has another name, '‘Vang trang khuyet’ (Crescent Moon), kicked off in 2008. The project transfer and purchase then caused a lot of Da Nang’s leaders to become involved in legal troubles. In 2017, the implementation of the project was suspended because it was related to wrongdoings committed by Phan Van Anh Vu and accomplices.

As the project has been pending, most of the project’s area is overgrown with grass. A part of the project under Thuan Phuoc bridge is temporarily used as a place to gather and classify waste. Rows of adjacent houses have arisen and people have flocked there to settle down. Some unfinished construction items are abandoned in a degraded state.

Vo Nguyen Chuong, deputy director of the Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, said Da Nang bears responsibility for five issues within its competence, including the seizing of the 181 hectare Da Phuoc International Urban Area project on the coastal road of Nguyen Tat Thanh.

Meanwhile, Golden Hills City in Hoa Hiep Bac and Hoa Hiep Nam wards in Lien Chieu district, and Hoa Lien commune in Hoa Vang district, developed by Trung Nam Land, a subsidiary of Trung Nam Group, covers an area of 381 hectares. The project was licensed for the first time in March 2010, with capital of VND4.4 trillion.

Currently, within the urban area project, there is a large neighborhood with blocks of housing. Every corner of the project is covered with wild grass as it has been abandoned for a long time and no one has cleaned it up.

Da Nang People’s Committee has recently released information about proposals from Trung Nam Land related to the Golden Hills City ecological urban area.

Trung Nam Land has asked to adjust information about investors, name of project and purposes. The developer will build houses for sale or lease. It has raised investment capital from VND4.447 trillion to VND7.648 trillion. The implementation will be 2023-2029 instead of 2010-2016.

In reply, the Da Nang People’s Committee said previously, it had granted an investment registration certificate to the project, but it did not submit the dossier about the project to the Prime Minister as required by the law. Therefore, the adjustments to the project are now within the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister. 

In addition to these two projects, many other projects located in advantageous positions, introduced as tourism complexes, resorts, high-end shopping centers, have been registered. However, the investors have done nothing after getting well-situated land allocated. What is seen behind fences is just deserted land with grass.

These projects include DAP Vietnam (DAP Co Ltd); DAP 1, 2 Vietnam (DAP 1 and DAP 2 Companies); Hon Ngoc A Chau (Hon Ngoc A Chau JSC); and I.V.C sea tourism complex (I.V.C Co Ltd). The Da Nang Department of Planning and Investment said these are classified as slowly-deployed projects.

The department has also cited three super-projects near each other – Da Nang Center, Diamond Square, and Golden Square, located in advantageous positions in Hai Chau district. They have been pending for 15 years, causing a big waste of land resources.

Ho Giap