Da Nang - Known under the name of Tourane at the French colonial time, Da Nang is today capital of province and counts more than 500 000 inhabitants. The geographical position of Da Nang, near Laos and Thailand, and its deep waters made city a prosperous center of maritime exchanges. The French army installed there from the very start of XXth century an important military base. Then in the Sixties, Da Nang became an important American air and sea bases.