Da Nang's summer fun moves up to 5 a.m. From July 23 to 25, 2026, at Man Thai Beach (Bien Man Thai) at the foot of the Son Tra Peninsula, 'Dawn Fish Market (Don nhip cho ca binh minh)' lets you experience the very life of a fishing village that gathers on the beach at daybreak. Tourists line up alongside fishermen to haul in nets, pick out just-caught fish and squid, and slurp squid noodles right there on the sand. The opposite of a beach resort or night market, it is a trip you can only taste in the still-dark early hours, and how you spend those few morning hours can change the whole memory of a stay.
5 to 8 a.m.: three days pulling nets with the fishermen
This experience is one of the marquee programs of "Enjoy Da Nang 2026 (Le hoi Tan huong Da Nang 2026)," the city's large summer tourism event. It runs July 22 to 26, with venues centered on Bien Dong Park (Cong vien Bien Dong) and My Khe Beach (Bai bien My Khe) and spreading to spots across the city. Within it, the "dawn fish market" alone moves its stage to the tourist-light Man Thai Beach, open only during the limited hours of 5 to 8 a.m. from July 23 to 25.
Participants first greet the small boats and bamboo basket boats (thúng) just back from the sea, then haul the nets onto the beach alongside the fishermen. They pick from the shared catch of fish, squid, and shrimp on the spot and have it made into warm noodles at a beach stall—not a tourist show, but a chance to slip straight into a fishing village's morning routine.
A summer festival themed "back to the roots"
Da Nang tourism in 2026 flies the banner 'Cham ve Nguyen ban (Touch the Origin).' The policy puts the land's plain face - fishing villages, markets, seaside life - at the center of travel rather than just flashy illuminations and fireworks, and the Dawn Fish Market is the flagship event of that. Man Thai is originally a working fishing port where locals buy fresh catch at dawn and dusk, with a different air from a touristed beach. Inviting travelers in for just a few days is the crux of this setup.
On the same summer nights, a display of 500 glowing kites dances over the shore, showing a different face by day and by night (Not fireworks: 500 glowing kites dancing over the night sea—Da Nang's new summer). Put the morning fish market and the evening light show at the two ends of a single day and you can use up all of Da Nang's summer.
A guide to costs and timing
Since watching the net-hauling and fish market is about blending into a fishing village's everyday life, most of your actual spending goes to food at the stalls and buying fresh catch. At Man Thai market's going rate, mantis shrimp (tôm tít) run about 120,000–140,000 dong per kilo (about 740–860 yen)—clearly cheaper than eating at a restaurant. But fresh-catch prices move with the season, the size and the day's haul, so treat this as a normal-times guide. For reference, tickets to the festival's evening event, the "seaside light banquet," are set at 129,000–199,000 dong (about 800–1,230 yen). Currency is a rough conversion at 1 yen ≈ 162 dong as of mid-July.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Dawn Fish Market (Man Thai Beach) | July 23-25 / 5:00-8:00 a.m. |
| Full festival period | July 22–26 |
| Opening ceremony | Night of July 23, Bien Dong Park |
| Going rates for fresh catch (examples) | Mantis shrimp, about 120,000–140,000 dong/kg (about 740–860 yen) |
| Sample tickets for the night events | 129,000-199,000 dong (about 800-1,230 yen) |
Not just net-hauling—how to use the early morning
Timed to the dawn fish market, the Man Thai area offers a range of plans that make the most of the morning. Here are the ones easy to work into an itinerary.
- Hauling nets and sorting fish: haul in nets with the fishermen and share in the just-caught seafood. The star of the festival period.
- Breakfast on the beach: Have the squid you chose turned into a warm noodle bowl (mi tom muc) and eat it on the spot. A bowl with a sea view is the classic.
- Sunrise SUP and beach yoga: Paddleboarding on the sunrise sea, and beach yoga and meditation. Offered separately during the festival.
- Morning on the Son Tra Peninsula: After the fish market, extend your trip to the Son Tra Peninsula rising just ahead and enjoy the monkeys and sea views in the cool hours.
Why this early-morning experience works for travelers
Da Nang's July brings strong sun and heat, and the midday beach stays hard to enjoy for long. A 5 to 8 a.m. window fits a rhythm of spending the cool early hours on the experience and resting at a hotel or café during the day. With Vietnam's small time difference, even travelers from Japan face a low bar to being up early. Rising early the morning after arrival makes it easy to turn a body clock that hasn't yet adjusted to your advantage.
Early morning is strong for photos too. The slanting morning sun, boats and nets, and just-landed seafood make subjects that yield "a shot you can only get in this place," unlike a resort pool photo. For those who treat social posting as part of the trip, the dawn fish market is a high-return stop.
Vietnamese tourism steers toward experiences
Da Nang choosing a working fishing port over a touristy beach as its stage aligns with the "from consumption to experience" shift underway across Vietnam. Like Hoi An's lanterns, Hue's royal cuisine and the Mekong's floating markets, a design that invites travelers into the fabric of local life breeds repeat visits and word of mouth. A regional festival themed on the national-treasure ginseng (Zero fakes promised: three days at Da Nang's first Ngoc Linh ginseng festival, a national treasure), Da Nang is increasingly using the technique of bundling local resources into short, concentrated events. Rather than lining up goods for sale, it opens the site of everyday life for just a few days—Man Thai's fish market is also an experiment in that minimal form.
Visit notes (place, time, what to bring)
| Experience name | The dawn fish market (Đón nhịp chợ cá bình minh) |
|---|---|
| Location | Man Thai Beach / Man Thai fishing village (Hoang Sa, Man Thai, Son Tra area, Da Nang) |
| Dates | July 23-25, 2026 |
| Time | 5:00 to 8:00 a.m. |
| Access | 15–20 minutes by taxi or ride-hailing app from central Da Nang (around the Han River). Just north of My Khe Beach, at the foot of the Son Tra Peninsula. |
| What to pack | Sandals you don't mind getting wet, a layer to throw on, cash (small bills), a drink, and sun protection |
| Organizer | An event of the Enjoy Da Nang Festival 2026 |
Summary
If you're in Da Nang from July 23 to 25, don't overdo the first night-rest early and head to Man Thai beach at 5 the next morning. Booking a ride-hailing app the night before with a set time keeps you from stumbling over travel in the dark. Pack what the visit notes above list, and save breakfast for the site-the squid you pull in and pick comes back as a bowl of noodles on the beach. Pair it with the light display at Bien Dong Park the same night and you get three days that run Da Nang's summer from morning to night in one thread.
Sources:Dân Việt／Việt Giải Trí
