Ba Na Hills history in short
The story has two parts that are easy to mix up. The first is a hill station from the French colonial period: the mountain was explored in 1901, and construction began in 1919. The second is a modern resort that grew from the late 1990s and reached its present form with the cable cars and the Golden Bridge in the 2010s.
Most of what you see today belongs to the second part. The French Village, for example, is a modern themed area and not a surviving colonial village. If you want to see what the visit costs today, the Ba Na Hills ticket guide has the 2026 prices.
Our pick: guided Ba Na Hills visit
A guided day takes you up the same cable car to the old hill station site.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Ba Na Hills tours today
See the old hill station area and the modern resort on a day trip from Da Nang or Hoi An, with live prices and availability.
The French hill station
From 1901 to the end of the colonial period.
1901: first exploration
The mountain was explored at the start of the twentieth century, about two decades before the station itself was begun.
1919: the station begins
Work on the hill station began in 1919. The first holiday buildings were built, and the place was expanded further during the 1920s.
1923: the Debay wine cellar
The Debay cellar dates from 1923 and is around 100 m long. It is the best-known remnant of the old station and still stands in the middle mountain area. That does not make today's French Village the same age. Read the French Village guide to see which is which.
1928: a better access road
The access to the station was expanded in 1928, during the same building phase as the first holiday houses.
After 1945: decline
After 1945 the station fell into decline, and the holiday use was interrupted.
Revival and the modern resort
From the late 1990s to the Golden Bridge.
1997: first revival steps
The city took the first measures to revive the mountain from 1997. A small cable car followed in 1999, and road improvements in 2003.
2007 to 2009: the cable car company
The private group that runs the resort today began its activity in Vietnam in 2007 and set up the Ba Na cable car company in the same year. Its first cable car opened on 25 March 2009.
2013: a record line
A cable car line opened on 29 March 2013 and was recorded by Guinness World Records at about 5.8 km in the category longest non-stop single track cable car. That is the record for that category on that date, not a claim that it is the longest of every kind today. The cable car guide covers the lines in use now.
2015 and 2017: hotel and brand
The hotel in the French Village began to operate in 2015. In 2017 the group launched the leisure brand under which the resort runs today.
2018 or 2019: the Golden Bridge
The Golden Bridge opened in 2018 or 2019. If you read two dates, they refer to the same bridge.
Where the name Ba Na comes from
Several explanations exist.
There are several explanations for the name Ba Na. Do not rely on any single story you hear, and use the name as it stands: Ba Na for the mountain and the commune, Ba Na Hills for the resort.
Ba Na Hills lies about 25 km south-west of the centre of Da Nang, in the commune of Ba Na, and the resort stands at around 1,487 m on the mountain called Nui Chua. The 25 km is a rough distance between two points, not a road distance. For the journey itself, see getting from Da Nang to Ba Na Hills.
More about Ba Na Hills and Da Nang
The resort in its present form.
Ba Na Hills history: frequently asked questions
When was Ba Na Hills built?
The French hill station began in 1919, after an exploration in 1901. The modern resort grew from the late 1990s, with the first revival steps in 1997 and the Golden Bridge in 2018 or 2019.
Is the French Village at Ba Na Hills a real colonial village?
No. It is a modern themed area. The Debay wine cellar from 1923 is the historic remnant, and it stands in the middle mountain area.
When did the Golden Bridge open?
In 2018 or 2019. It is part of the modern resort built in the 2010s.
What happened to the old hill station?
After 1945 it fell into decline and the holiday use was interrupted. The place was revived from 1997.
Who runs Ba Na Hills today?
A private group runs the resort. It began its activity in Vietnam in 2007 and set up the Ba Na cable car company in the same year.