The Son Tra Peninsula in Son Tra District, spanning 4,400 ha, lies to the northeast of downtown Da Nang. It has a perimeter of 60 km.
Following the heavy rainfall triggered by storm Son Ca on October 14 and October 15, the peninsula has counted 41 points of erosion. Roads have been destroyed; and soil, rubble, trees and other objects have been swept away and dumped here and there, blocking many paths.
The Hoang Sa Road section above the Linh Ung Pagoda has been eroded on both sides. For the past two weeks, authorities have been able to unblock part of the road leading towards Bai Bac. The Bai Bac - Cay Da section has not been dealt with yet, local reports say.
Pham Minh Hai, deputy head of the management committee of the Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang beaches, said the erosion at the peninsula was "unprecedented," blocking most roads in the area.
The Dong Dinh Museum was partially destroyed. A lot of the resulting rubble on the road has been cleaned up.
A car owner passing through the area on October 14 had to leave his car behind and flee the area, fearing an imminent landslide.
The Hoang Sa Road section that runs past the through the Linh Ung Pagoda is heavily damaged, with half of it collapsed in sections. Authorities have barricaded the area pending repairs.
Sinkholes have also appeared on parts of Hoang Sa Road leading towards a resort site.
Anh Trung, 43, who frequently travels to Son Tra to collect trash, walks his motorbike through a road section in the Suoi Om area. He said he had never seen such severe destruction in the peninsula.
Several hillsides that were reinforced with concrete have proved no match for the elements.
On Saturday, the management committee of the Son Tra Peninsula said the road sections from the beginning of the Yet Kieu route to the Ban Co Peak; from the Le Van Luong intersection to the Bai Bac intersection; and a Suoi Da branch's road section, have been cleared.
A monkey searches for food at an erosion site next to Hoang Sa Road.
The Son Tra Peninsula has Vietnam's only natural ecosystem with both forests and the sea, and is home to numerous species of flora and fauna.
Vehicles have been dispatched to clean up the rubbles and uprooted trees to clear roads running to Son Tra. It would take months before the job is finished.
The management committee of the Son Tra Peninsula has barricaded the area and is not allowing tourists to visit the peninsula until further notice.
