Posted on November 9, 2026
After more than a decade of erosion, the coastal area of Cua Dai, Da Nang City, is changing as basic coastal protection projects are completed. Tourists are returning, and businesses have more opportunities to welcome customers, but maintaining the sandy beach still needs to be monitored during stormy seasons.
The coastline is being revitalized.
On the afternoon of November 8th, according to observations by Nguoi Dua Tin , along the newly paved road bordering Cua Dai beach in Hoi An Dong ward, foreign tourists were leisurely strolling beneath rows of coconut trees. A family with a young child was cycling, and a few people stopped on the embankment to take photos. Below, tourists were enjoying themselves by the water’s edge.
The thatched-roof restaurants have set up tables and chairs to serve customers. After a long period of erosion and construction, people are returning to the beach area to eat, drink, and relax.
Along the embankment, there are sections where the sandy area between the base of the structure and the water’s edge is quite wide, but in other places the waves get very close. In some locations, there is still accumulated sand, and workers are continuing to clear the material.
For Mr. Tran Ngoc Hung, a resident of Hoi An Dong ward, the seascape before his eyes is very different from the years when he had to battle rough waves.
He recounted that since 2014, erosion has worsened significantly. Wide stretches of sand, tens of meters across, have gradually disappeared, and waves have encroached deep inland, threatening roads, restaurants, and hotels along the coast.
To prevent erosion, locals layered sandbags, erected bamboo stakes, and built temporary embankments. But after each storm, many areas continued to be eroded. Places once used for swimming and recreation have become cluttered with anti-erosion materials.
He had witnessed water and sand flooding the roads. Residents had to clean up after storms, while the worry of losing more land and damaging infrastructure persisted.
The shrinking beach also creates difficulties for businesses that depend on tourists . Many establishments have to spend money building embankments, driving piles, and stacking sandbags to protect their property. After each rainy and stormy season, preserving the land behind the beach remains a concern.
Now, the new route creates a walkway along the coast, with steps leading down to the sandy beach. The space, once divided by erosion control materials, now offers room for pedestrians, cyclists, and those who enjoy the sea views.
Businesses now have better access to the beach, making it easier to attract customers. However, for locals who have repeatedly used sandbags to protect their land, the long-term concern remains whether the beach will remain intact through stormy seasons.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, a resident of Hoi An Dong ward, hopes the beach will be preserved for a long time so that people have a place to swim and businesses can attract more customers. The completed seawall has eased her worries about waves eroding the shore. What she hopes for is that after the rainy and stormy seasons, the beach will still be wide enough for locals and tourists to swim.
Keep the shoreline from the sea.
At the newly completed embankment section, Mr. Nguyen Van Doan, Commander of Thanh An 96 Construction Joint Stock Company, pointed to the concrete components along the embankment slope, explaining how the structure withstands the impact of waves.
Beneath the concrete layer is a system of piles driven approximately 8 meters deep, combined with bracing, retaining blocks, and a foundation. The roof components are interconnected; inside, there is a retaining wall protecting the road foundation.
The surface of the structural element is shaped to disperse water flow when waves strike it, reducing the direct impact on the structure.
To complete the construction work in about 5 months, the unit mobilized 70 to 80 workers along with 25 to 30 vehicles and equipment. The teams worked simultaneously on everything from pile driving and foundation work to component installation and road surface construction.
“Racing against the storm,” Mr. Doan said, referring to the pressure of meeting deadlines.
The embankment’s slope section is prioritized for completion before September 15th. Any delay will make construction more difficult during rough seas, especially for items directly exposed to waves.
To date, the construction work within the Thanh An 96 project has been completed. Workers are still grinding down rough concrete areas, leveling the ground, and cleaning the site. The investor plans to hold the acceptance inspection in November.
The seawall is combined with an underwater dike system. Mr. Doan explained that the underwater dike reduces wave energy before it reaches the shore, while the seawall protects the road and coastal structures.
Engineer Dao To Van, the construction commander of the underwater dike project of Dat Phuong Group Joint Stock Company, noted that the increased sand levels in some locations are the result of excavation, embankment, and leveling for construction and land restoration. It is impossible to conclude that the sea has naturally replenished itself based solely on the existing sand levels.
He shared that the Hoi An Coastal Erosion Control and Sustainable Protection project includes 7 submerged dikes, 6 sand-holding structures, and sand pumping for beach regeneration along a length of approximately 3.4km. The submerged dikes have a total length of 2,090m, arranged parallel to and about 250m from the shore. The submerged dike section, constructed by Dat Phuong, was completed at the end of October.
To maintain the coastline, Mr. Van emphasized that coordination is needed between wave-reducing structures on the outer edge, reinforcement on the inner edge, and sand pumping to nourish the beach.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tan, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Investment and Construction Project Management Board for Transportation and Agriculture Projects, shared that two projects under the Hoi An coastal erosion control project have been basically completed and are undergoing acceptance and handover procedures.
Mr. Tan explained that the outer submerged dike helps reduce wave force, the inner reinforcement works protect the shoreline, and sand pumping is used to regenerate the beach.
These projects, working together, will help protect sections of the coastline that have been severely eroded by waves, gradually restoring space for locals and tourists to access the sea.
