Non Nuoc is the stone-carving village at the foot of the Marble Mountains, with nearly 500 workshops and several thousand carvers along the roads around the hills. The craft was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.
The stone no longer comes from the mountains: quarrying there was banned in 1990 to protect them, and carvers now bring in marble and other stone from provinces such as Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. A working yard, where you watch the carving, is a very different visit from the large showrooms that line the main road.
A working yard, not a showroom
Our half day takes you into a carving yard to watch the work, with no sales stop and no pressure to buy.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursSee the tour →What is the history of Non Nuoc village?
Tradition credits the craft to Huynh Ba Quat, a stoneworker from Thanh Hoa in the north who settled at the foot of the mountains; accounts date the village’s beginnings to between the 17th and 18th centuries. The first products were practical: mortars, grinding stones and gravestones.
In the early 19th century, when the Nguyen emperors built their palaces and tombs, skilled carvers from Non Nuoc were called on to work on them, and the village’s reputation grew. Some of the inscriptions carved on the mountains above record the village’s history. Mechanised tools arrived from the 1980s, and today the village combines hand carving with machine work.
Where does the stone come from now?
For centuries Non Nuoc carved the white, grey, pink and black marble of the mountains themselves. As the hills began to suffer, the authorities banned quarrying there in 1990. Since then the stone has been brought in from other provinces, mainly Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Thai Nguyen.
That matters for buyers: a statue sold as marble from the Marble Mountains is, in almost every case, carved in Non Nuoc from stone quarried elsewhere.
What can you see in the village?
| Where | What it is like |
|---|---|
| Working yards | Open workshops where carvers rough out, shape and finish statues by hand and machine |
| Showrooms on the main road | Large sales floors with finished pieces, often visited by coach tours |
| Roadside yards | Rows of large finished statues and lions waiting for buyers or shipping |
In a working yard you can watch the stages of a statue side by side, from rough block to polished figure. The village sits right beside Thuy Son, described in the complete Marble Mountain guide.
Workshop or showroom: what is the difference?
A workshop is where the stone is carved; a showroom is where it is sold. Many coach tours finish at a showroom, where the prices are set with the tour stop in mind. Watching carvers at work in a yard costs nothing and involves no sales pitch, and it is how our tours visit the village.
If you do want to buy, the same yards usually sell directly, and prices there are easier to negotiate.
Want to watch the carvers at work?
Our half day includes a working yard in Non Nuoc, after the caves of Thuy Son and the Lady Buddha, with no shop stop.
Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone Carvers5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern Light10 hoursSee the tour →Non Nuoc village: quick answers
Where is Non Nuoc stone village?
At the foot of the Marble Mountains in Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang, along the roads around the hills, including Huyen Tran Cong Chua street.
Is Non Nuoc stone village free to visit?
Yes. Walking through the village and watching carvers in open yards is free; you only pay if you buy something.
Is the stone in Non Nuoc from the Marble Mountains?
No longer. Quarrying on the Marble Mountains was banned in 1990, and carvers now bring stone from provinces such as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Thai Nguyen.
Is Non Nuoc a heritage village?
Yes. The stone-carving craft of Non Nuoc was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.
Stone, carved in front of you
Choose your group size and the price covers the day: pickup, private car, licensed guide, every ticket and water. Free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursfrom$39/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$135BOOK →2 guests$140BOOK →3 guests$150BOOK →4 guests$155BOOK →See the full tour page →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursfrom$89/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$265BOOK →2 guests$295BOOK →3 guests$325BOOK →4 guests$355BOOK →See the full tour page →Facts on the village were checked against the Da Nang city portal and national heritage sources in September 2026.