TOURS HOI AN VIETNAM

Hoi An

Detail from a Chinese building in Hoi An (flickr user ozzieadria)

Hoi An

For visitors to Vietnam with even the slightest interest in the nation's culture and history, Hoi An is a must-see. Hoi An was a major international port from the 15th to the 19th centuries. During this time Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Dutch settlers rubbed shoulders with the Vietnamese to produce a rich local culture, whose foreign influences are discernible to this day. Combined with a trip to nearby Hue, Hoi An offers tourists a deeply rewarding glimpse of Vietnam's fascinating past.

Decorative lanterns hang from Hoi An's iconic Japanese Bridge

Getting to Know Hoi An

Hoi An is in central Vietnam on the South China Sea at the mouth of the Thu Bon River. Home to about 88,000 people, Hoi An's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As early as the first century A.D. Hoi An had the largest harbor in Southeast Asia. From the 16th to the 18th centuries--Hoi An's heyday--the city was the most important trading center in Vietnam, especially for Chinese goods.

A sleepy harbor now, Hoi An was a thriving port until the Thu Bon river silted up and most trade moved north to Danang

While the serious shipping business has long since moved to Danang, Hoi An's Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shophouses, is a reminder of Hoi An's historical importance. Some 844 buildings in the Old Town have been preserved, and unlike other places in Vietnam, restoration has proceeded slowly and carefully. Though touristy, Hoi An is refreshingly free of concrete tower blocks and karaoke parlors--and best of all, cars are prohibited in the Old Town. Visiting after sundown, when the day-trippers have left, can be especially atmospheric.

Things to See

• The Japanese Covered Bridge, on the west end of Tran Phu Street, was constructed in the early 1600s by the Japanese community. Its name in Vietnamese, Lai Vien Kieu, means "Pagoda in Japan." Today, it's the symbol of Hoi An. Tran Vo Bac De, the god of the north who controls the weather--obviously important in a maritime community like Hoi An--is honored in a small temple inside the bridge.



The Japanese Bridge reflects Hoi An's multiculural past

• Quan Cong Temple: Built in 1653, Quan Cong Temple honors a Chinese general of the same name, revered for his loyalty, bravery and integrity. The general's statue is on an altar in the back of sanctuary, flanked by statues of his bodyguard and adopted son. Merchants would pray at Quan Cong for the general's virtues.



The tranquil interior of a Chinese temple in Hoi An

• Museum of Trade Ceramics: The highlight of this museum isn't the rather dusty collection of broken pottery, but the excellent English descriptions of the history of Hoi An and the old house in which the museum is located. No other house in Hoi An will give you as complete an understanding of the town's architecture as this museum does.
• The Phun Hung House, just west of the Japanese Bridge, has been in the same family since its construction in 1780. The traditional two-story wooden house features Japanese and Chinese elements.



Hoi An is a real town, not a reconstruction for tourists--take time to watch the locals going about their business

• Tan Ky House: An historic house in Hoi An that combines Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences. Chinese poems written in mother-of-pearl are hanging from a number of the columns that hold up the roof. Don't miss the beautiful mosaic inlay work found in the four small rooms. The Tan family still occupies the house.



You'll love the car-free streets of Hoi An

• The Tran Family Home and Chapel offers a fascinating look at a wealthy Hoi An family of the early 19th century. In 1802 Tran Tu Nhuc, Emperor Gia Long's ambassador to China, built this house and a chapel to worship his ancestors. Today the drawing room and the chapel are open to the public. Not surprisingly, the home is bedecked with Chinese artifacts and gifts. The drawing room features a center section that is opened only during the Tet festival as a place for the family's ancestors to return home.

The Hoi An fish market makes for a fun visit, but be sure to get there before 7 a.m. to catch the action (flickr user jmhullot)

Numerous congregation halls, where Chinese expatriate residents socialized and held meetings, are found throughout the town. They are typically named after the home region of their members, such as Fukian and Canton. Here are a few of the larger examples:

• Cantonese Assembly Hall: Built in 1885 from materials brought in from China, the hall is elaborately decorated. Interestingly, many of the statues in the hall depict characters from famous Chinese operas. The calm courtyard in back is also adorned with ornate statuary, including a ceramic dragon lurking in a fountain.



The rich colors seen here are typical of the Chinese congregation halls

• Fukian Assembly Hall: This impressive assembly hall, dating back to 1697, was built by Chinese merchants from Fukian Province in southern China. Animal lovers will enjoy the unicorn, dragon, turtle and fish sculptures, each with its own symbolism. Sailors honored Thien Hau, the sea goddess, with a temple inside the hall. She's flanked by Thuan Phong Nhi, a goddess who can hear ships from thousands of miles away, and Thien Ly Nhan, a gimlet-eyed goddess who can see them from the same distance. Meanwhile, the hall is also a place of worship for a prosperity god and a fertility goddess. Local couples hoping to start families worship her for good luck.



Fukian Assembly Hall is a spectacular and very photogenic example of Chinese architecture (flickr user besar bear)

• Chinese All-Community Meeting Hall: Another interesting assembly hall, this one welcomed all members of the Chinese community. It was founded in 1773 and incorporates French architecture as well.



A charming reminder of Hoi An's rich Chinese culture: the Chinese All-Community Meeting Hall

Festival

Full Moon Festival (Old Town Night): Held each month 14 days after the new moon--about the time the moon is full--Old Town becomes even more charming when the shop owners turn off the electricity and hang lighted lanterns from their storefronts. At the same time, a procession of small floats winds its way through the streets and along the river front by candle light.

If you can time it right, try to catch the Full Moon Festival, when hundreds of lanterns cast the Old Town in a magical glow

Side Trips from Hoi An

• Cua Dai Beach: Just a few miles from Hoi An, Cua Dai beach is a nice getaway. You can cycle there from Hoi An, which gives you a great view of the countryside. Along the beach are a number of small restaurants selling seafood and drinks, many of which provide deck chairs and tables right on the water's edge. Vendors usually stroll the beach offering fresh fruit. The tides here can be dangerous, however, so keep an eye on children.



If you're looking to mix a little sand with your cultural sightseeing in Hoi An, simply head over to the lovely beach at Cua Dai

• Cham Island Tour: You can easily combine a visit to Cua Dai beach with a tour of Cham Island, just three miles off shore. The Cham people, one of Vietnam's many ethnic groups, are an Austro-Asiatic people who have fished from this island for centuries. Allow about half a day for the tour, which can be arranged from Cua Dai or Hoi An.
• My Son: If you're interested in seeing more of the Cham culture, don't miss My Son. Twenty-five miles from Hoi An, My Son was the religious center of the Cham Empire at the height of its power from the 7th to the 12th centuries. At My Son, the Cham, followers of Hinduism, buried their kings and built temples and monuments to honor Shiva. The complex shows Vietnamese, Indonesian and Indian influences. Sadly, many of the structures were destroyed in the Vietnam War, but My Son--a UNESCO World Heritage Site--remains a moving, contemplative place.

  

  (flickr user joxeankorets)

  

  (flickr user gorik)

  Two views of the ruins at My Son

Shopping

• Tailored clothing: Made-to-measure shirts, blouses, dresses, and jackets are available from the renowned tailors of Hoi An. When last counted in 2002, there were 140 shops in the city, and the number is now well over 400. You can find tailors in the Cloth Market, next to the Central Market; the tailor shops Yaly, Adnong Silk, and Thuong are also well known. With any tailor, be sure to negotiate before committing to a price.



Gorgeous silk fabrics such as these are available from Hoi An's legendary tailors as well as markets around town

• Art: Hoi An also has a good selection of Vietnamese art, both modern and traditional, serious and kitschy. Galleries can be found all over town but Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, on the other side of the Japanese Bridge, has the heaviest concentration.
• The Central Market--one of Vietnam's best--has run-of-the-mill souvenirs but it also has plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood, and all of the other ingredients used in Hoi An's terrific restaurants. You can get some special deals on spices--saffron especially. Be sure to work your way deep into the market to find the cheapest goods.



At least once during your trip to Vietnam you should experience a traditional market such as Hoi An's Central Market (flickr user notacrime)

• Thanh Ha Pottery Village: About a mile west of town, this traditional village has been making pottery for more than 450 years.

Eating

Food in Hoi An is, even by high Vietnamese standards, cheap and tasty. In addition to standard Vietnamese fare, there are three dishes that Hoi An is particularly famous for:

• Cao lau is a dish of rice noodles which are not quite as slippery as pho and a bit closer in texture to pasta. The secret is the water used to make it-- authentic cao lau uses only water from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped with slices of roast pork, dough fritters, and lots of fresh herbs and vegetables.

  

  Hoi An is full of gastronomic delights such as these cao lau noodles

• White rose (banh bao vac) is a type of shrimp dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose.
• Wonton dumplings, essentially the same as the Chinese kind, are served up in soup or deep-fried.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can walk to the Central Market and have a local breakfast of cao lau with wooden chopsticks amidst the flow of shoppers around you. Walking along the river at night, you will find numerous pubs, with beer, cocktails and bar food. Just walk into any pub and have a seat.

Hoi An is especially luminous during the Full Moon Festival, but whenever you visit, Hoi An will surely rank among your favorite destinations in Vietnam (flickr user jmhullot)

According to vietnam.com