Visiting the Son My Memorial Site from Da Nang or Hoi An: What to Confirm Before You Go to a Place of Remembrance

The Son My Memorial Site in Quang Ngai commemorates civilians killed on 16 March 1968, so the visit needs a quiet schedule with enough time and should not be squeezed into the middle of a packed day. The rate table lists about 135 km and 2.5 hours from Da Nang and about 115 km and 2.2 hours from Hoi An to Quang Ngai city, and the memorial site lies north-east of the city. This guide covers the site, the restoration work now under way, how to plan the day and what to confirm before you go.

What the site is

According to the newspaper Bao Van Hoa (posted 12 May 2025), the site commemorates 504 civilians killed on 16 March 1968; this is the figure given in Quang Ngai province, and this guide does not discuss other figures. The site was recognised as a national monument in 1979 and as a special national monument in 2002, according to Bao Van Hoa and Saigon Giai Phong (posted 8 September 2023). The same two sources place it in Tinh Khe commune, about 13 km north-east of the centre of Quang Ngai city; administrative names may have changed after the provincial mergers that took effect on 1 July 2025, so use the name of the monument when you ask for directions.

The site has an exhibition house for objects and documents, a memorial monument and the remaining traces of the hamlet. This guide gives no number of exhibits because the articles give different figures in different years.

Restoration is under way: ask before you go

According to Bao Van Hoa (posted 12 May 2025), the restoration project for the site has 12 work packages and is scheduled from the second quarter of 2025 to the fourth quarter of 2026. Saigon Giai Phong (posted 8 September 2023) describes the project as a new film room and service area, restoration of the memorial monument and renovation of the exhibition house. We found no notice saying which parts are closed during the works. Because the plan runs to the end of 2026, ask dispatch or the managing authority whether the site is fully open on your date.

Opening hours and tickets

Travel sources give different opening hours and we found no official source; the official site could not be reached when we checked on 1 October 2026. Ask before your travel date rather than relying on a single schedule.

Suggested etiquette

This is a place of remembrance; the following are editorial suggestions, not rules:

• Wear modest, tidy clothing, walk slowly and keep quiet.
• Do not pose for photos, joke or speak loudly.
• With children, tell them beforehand that this is a place of remembrance and consider whether the exhibits suit their age.
• Give the visit time instead of treating it as a token stop; an editorial estimate (not data) is about one and a half to two hours if you go through the exhibition house.

Getting there from Da Nang or Hoi An

Route (one way)	Distance and time in the rate table
Da Nang to Quang Ngai city	about 135 km, 2.5 hours
Hoi An to Quang Ngai city	about 115 km, 2.2 hours (about 2 hours 12 minutes)

The rate table has entries only to Quang Ngai city and none to the Son My Memorial Site itself. The site lies north-east of the city, on the same side as Da Nang and Hoi An, but the real distance to it is not inferred from these two entries; send your pickup point and name the destination to receive a separate quote. Rates and how to settle the pickup are on the pages for a private car from Da Nang to Quang Ngai city and from Hoi An to Quang Ngai city. These are one-way rates; the car’s waiting time while you visit is not included automatically, and both entries still need dispatch to confirm them for your travel date.

Planning a heavy day

From Hoi An or Da Nang, a day to Son My and back is long because the driving each way already takes hours. If you also want My Son or Tam Ky, the Hoi An, My Son, Tam Ky and Quang Ngai 2-day itinerary splits it into two days and puts Son My on the second. Another memorial in Tam Ky has its own guide, the Mother Thu monument; both places call for quiet, so do not stack them back to back in a crowded schedule.

Central Vietnam often has its storm peak around October and November, so for a date in those months prepare a plan to change the day.

What to send

• Your pickup point in Da Nang or Hoi An; cars can enter the gates of hotels and resorts to pick up and drop off.
• The date, and the destination named as the Son My Memorial Site rather than only Quang Ngai city, with the time you want to leave and to be back.
• The number of passengers, whether there are young children or older relatives, the suitcases and the 4-, 7- or 16-seat vehicle.
• What you learn when you ask about opening during the restoration, so dispatch can plan around it.

Common questions about visiting the Son My Memorial Site

Is the Son My Memorial Site open during the restoration? +

We found no notice saying which parts are closed. According to Bao Van Hoa (12 May 2025) the restoration is scheduled from the second quarter of 2025 to the fourth quarter of 2026, so ask dispatch or the managing authority before you go.

What are the opening hours and the ticket arrangements? +

Travel sources give different hours and we found no official source. Ask before your travel date rather than relying on a single schedule.

How long does it take to get there from Da Nang or Hoi An? +

The rate table lists about 135 km and 2.5 hours from Da Nang and about 115 km and 2.2 hours from Hoi An to Quang Ngai city; the site lies north-east of the city, so the time to the site needs a separate quote. These are one-way times excluding stops and weather.

How should I behave at a place of remembrance? +

Wear modest clothing, walk slowly, keep quiet and do not pose for photos. These are editorial suggestions because we found no official rules; with children, tell them beforehand that this is a place of remembrance.

Can I combine Son My with other stops in one day? +

The car can do it, but the driving each way already takes hours and a memorial calls for quiet. If you want My Son or Tam Ky as well, split it over two days and put Son My on the second, as in the 2-day itinerary.