Visiting Tam Thanh Mural Village: What to Know Before You Walk Through a Residential Coastal Hamlet
Tam Thanh is a coastal hamlet with paintings on residents’ walls, so the visit should be short and keep a distance from occupied homes. The rate table lists about 65 km and 1.3 hours from Da Nang and 45 km and 1 hour from Hoi An. The guide covers what remains, etiquette and Tam Ky.
Table of Contents (6 sections)
Tam Thanh mural village is a coastal hamlet with paintings on residents’ walls, so the sensible visit is short, light and keeps a distance from houses where people live. The rate table lists about 65 km and 1.3 hours from Da Nang and about 45 km and 1 hour from Hoi An. This guide explains what the place is, what remains of the murals according to the press, suggested etiquette and how to combine it with Tam Ky.
What Tam Thanh mural village is
According to VnExpress (posted 7 May 2017), in late June 2016 Quang Nam province, the South Korean embassy and several non-governmental organisations opened a Korean–Vietnamese community art project in Tam Thanh commune. It was finished in just over 20 days by dozens of Korean volunteers, and more than 100 houses were chosen for wall paintings. According to the Vietnamese Wikipedia (checked on 1 October 2026), the site is about 7 km from the centre of Tam Ky; public travel sites say about 11 to 12 km, so this guide does not use a single figure. Since 1 July 2025, Quang Nam has been part of Da Nang city under Resolution 202/2025/QH15, so older articles may still give the province as Quang Nam.
What remains of the murals: it changes over time
Know this before you decide to go, because photos from 2016 and 2017 do not show the village as it is now.
- 2017: VnExpress reported that four murals were demolished because the houses were run down and were being rebuilt with support; one sat on a wall that ran through a living room and could not be kept.
- Late 2019: the newspaper Saigon Giai Phong (posted 31 December 2019) reported that many paintings had faded or been erased and that nearly 20 houses in Hoa Trung hamlet had been sold to outsiders and renovated, losing the paintings. A city leader said the houses are privately owned, so intervention is difficult.
- 2024: according to the Vietnamese Wikipedia, the village was refreshed with about 20 paintings, 33 boats and 50 oars painted. This guide could not find an official source for the number of murals that remain today.
In practice: do not expect a complete display like the old photos. Look at the latest photos or articles before you travel, and treat the remaining paintings as a bonus on a walk by the sea, not the only reason to go.
It is a residential area: suggested etiquette
The paintings are on residents’ walls, and according to the articles above the houses are privately owned. We found no official rule on conduct or opening hours, so the following are editorial suggestions, not rules:
- Stay outside fences or yards; do not step into a yard or stand on a sill or wall.
- Ask before photographing people going about their day; do not photograph the inside of a house.
- Keep your voice down and take your rubbish with you.
- Ask the driver to stop where the car does not block a household’s access or fishermen’s way to the sea.
Getting there from Da Nang or Hoi An
| Route (one way) | Distance and time in the rate table |
|---|---|
| Da Nang to Tam Thanh mural village | about 65 km, 1.3 hours (about 1 hour 18 minutes) |
| Hoi An to Tam Thanh mural village | about 45 km, 1 hour |
Rates and how to settle the pickup are on the pages for a private car from Da Nang to Tam Thanh mural village and from Hoi An to Tam Thanh mural village. These are one-way rates; the car’s waiting time while you walk is not included automatically and is stated in the quote. Both entries still need dispatch to confirm them for your travel date.
Combining it with Tam Ky
Tam Thanh lies in the same direction as Tam Ky, so the two can share a morning. The rate table lists Da Nang to Tam Ky at about 70 km and 1.5 hours, Hoi An to Tam Ky at about 50 km and 1 hour, and Da Nang to Mother Thu monument at about 60 km and 1.2 hours; the memorial has its own guide, the Mother Thu monument in Tam Ky. An illustration, not a fixed schedule: from Hoi An, a morning of about 1 hour driving each way, an hour and a half in Tam Thanh (an editorial estimate, not data) and then Tam Ky before lunch still leaves room to spare. If you need a full day or an overnight stay, see the Hoi An, My Son, Tam Ky and Quang Ngai 2-day itinerary, where Tam Thanh is one stop in the chain.
Central Vietnam often has its storm peak around October and November. This is an outdoor coastal stop, 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) and the time you want to arrive, since morning and afternoon light differ on the beach.
- The number of passengers, whether older relatives or young children travel, the suitcases and the 4-, 7- or 16-seat vehicle.
- Whether you travel one way or need the car to wait while you walk (and about how long), and whether you add Tam Ky.
Common questions about visiting Tam Thanh mural village
Is there a ticket for Tam Thanh mural village and when is it open?
We found no official notice on tickets or opening hours. It is a residential area, not an attraction with a controlled gate, so ask dispatch or check the latest information before you travel rather than relying on a single schedule.
How many murals are left in the village?
It changes over time. The press reported four murals demolished in 2017 and many faded or erased by late 2019; according to the Vietnamese Wikipedia the village was refreshed in 2024. We could not find an official source for the number that remain.
How long does it take to get to Tam Thanh from Da Nang or Hoi An?
The rate table lists about 65 km and 1.3 hours from Da Nang and about 45 km and 1 hour from Hoi An. These are one-way times excluding stops, rush hour and weather, and dispatch still needs to confirm them for your travel date.
How should I behave when visiting a residential area?
Stay outside fences, do not enter yards, ask before photographing people, keep your voice down and take your rubbish with you. These are editorial suggestions because there is no official rule, and according to the press the houses are privately owned.
Will the car wait while I walk around the village?
The rate table gives one-way rates and waiting time is not included automatically. If you need the car to wait or to collect you again, say so in your request so dispatch can confirm it and state it in the quote.
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