New on the scene is a host of reading cafes where stacks of books and magazines are offered to customers while they linger over a beverage.
The Sen Cafe was one of the first of its kind in the city, located on Tran Phu Street near the Da Nang Youth Cultural House.
It attracts a young clientele and displays a multitude of books on various topics.
Phuong Nam cafe on Phan Chau Trinh Street, meanwhile, is situated on the top floor of the Phuong Nam Bookstore.
The reading selection here is more abundant and updated than many others around the city.
The Cao Thom cafe on Ngo Gia Tu Street offers both old and newly published books for its customers to flip through.
And what this cafe might lack in spaciousness, it more than makes up for in character and ambience, says Nguyen Thanh Huong, a student from Da Nang University who frequents the cafe.
Many patrons also enjoy working on their laptops in reading cafes as an alternative to home or the office.
“A place like this helps increase excitement and creativity for work,” said Hai Hung, who works for an event planning company.
“When feeling tense, I read a few pages of a book,” he added.
At the Rong Phuong Dong cafe on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, customers can enjoy cheap and tasty beverages beginning at just VND5,000 (31 cents) per glass.
Despite its small, no-frills plastic tables and chairs, patrons can still enjoy wifi Internet and choose from more than 3,000 books.
Tra My, owner of the cafes, says customers can opt to buy the books they read at her coffee shop.
The income from book sales helps her keep beverage prices low, she adds.
Reading cafes in Da Nang are as diverse as the customers who frequent them and provide a much needed time-out for travelers and locals alike.
Reported by Dieu Hien |
E-mail to a friend 
Print version
To top
