Hoi An ancient town

## Overview

Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East
Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and
its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have
combined to produce this unique heritage site. Some notable heritage buildings
include Chinese temples, a Japanese-designed bridge, pagodas, wooden
shop-houses, French-colonial houses, and old canals. Although large-scale
trading had long moved elsewhere, Hoi An has been successful in preserving and restoring
its charming roots and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in December

## Location

Hoi An Ancient town is located in Viet
Nam’s central Quang Nam Province, on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu
Bon River. The inscribed property comprises 30 ha and it has a buffer zone of
280 ha.

## Characteristics

The town reflects a fusion of indigenous and
foreign cultures (principally Chinese and Japanese with later European
influences) that combined to produce this unique survival.

The town comprises a well-preserved complex
of 1,107 timber frame buildings, with brick or wooden walls, which include
architectural monuments, commercial and domestic vernacular structures, notably
an open market and a ferry quay, and religious buildings such as pagodas and
family cult houses. The houses are tiled and the wooden components are carved
with traditional motifs.  They are
arranged side-by-side in tight, unbroken rows along narrow pedestrian streets.
There is also the fine wooden Japanese bridge, with a pagoda on it, dating from
the 18th century. The surviving wooden structures and street plan are original
and intact and together present a traditional townscape of the 17th and 18th
centuries, the survival of which is unique in the region. Hoi An Ancient Town remains
an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Far Eastern port.

## History

Hoi An has been through a few centuries of
history, but still remains as in the very first days of its being born. Its two
main historical landmarks are the occupying of the Japanese & Chinese, and
the Western (Dutch and Spanish) during the 16th and 17th centuries. During the
period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Sea Town) in
Vietnamese. Originally Hai Pho was a divided town, because across the
"Japanese Bridge", it used to be the Japanese settlement (16th-17th
century). Then it was known to the French and Spanish as Faifo, a major
international port city. Thanks to these days, the foreign comprehensively
possitive and special pastimes and culture had made deep influences on the
today's Hoi An.

## Activities

Foot tour: Hoi An’s Old Town is small enough
to get around in on foot and the traffic is nowhere near as heavy as in bigger
cities.

A bicycle riding tour is an alternative and
fun way to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site

Nightlife: Many cafés and bars offer happy
hours and some even start as early as 16:00. The idea of chilling out in a
century-old shop-house on big and comfortable sofas and some dancing space in
certain venues is appealing to many and Hoi An’s nightlife is certainly
friendly.

## Specialities

It’s amazing to see such a huge variety of local
cheap eats and fine dining in a tiny town like Hoi An. Diners can select from
both local and western cuisines at most of the up-market restaurants.

## Tour

Private Sightseeing Between Hoi An & Hue

Activities: Cruise between 2 of Central
Vietnam's most intriguing cities in private and comfortable transpiration. With
convenient pickup from your hotel in Hue or Hoi An, travel with your own tour
guide and get the chance to stop off at historic sites, immersive museums, and
breathtaking vantage points.

Price: $63/adult

## Pictures

Brick houses in Hoi AnA canal in Hoi AnA view of a Taoist temple