When the pandemic shut the international borders of Vietnam down (taking much of the travel industry with it), the construction industry still carried on. Hotel projects that had already been funded were able to work their way through the pandemic, with the hope of being finished by the time the pandemic was over.

I visited Danang in February 2023, three years after COVID-19 took hold. While travel in Danang is getting back to normal with more international flights, it appears that the construction sector is running out of steam. There are more stalled and abandoned construction projects than buildings under construction.

There are a lot of big projects planned for Danang, especially along the coast between Danang and Hoi An. Some of these projects are familiar brands that end up in press releases on news sites, such as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Then there are these mega projects from companies that don’t even have a website or previous business involvement in Vietnam. I find out about these places by riding around on a motorbike looking for construction signs on empty lots. This sign stopped me in my tracks and had me exclaiming “WTAF!”

I revisited this site after first encountering it in 2020. I also revisited a project that Ronaldo was promoting and another new urban area that is trying to become a city within a city.

This is my construction report for Danang in 2023.