The ancient town of Hoi An

Originally known as Faifo, in the 16th and the 17th centuries, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia. Lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River, Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port. Over the last few years, Hoi An has become a very popular tourist destination in Vietnam.

The town is now an excellent model of a living museum of architecture and urban lifestyle. Its architecture is of traditional Vietnamese design, with Chinese and Japanese influences. This old town is a unique ensemble of architectural monuments of various forms: living house, communal house, pagoda, shrine, temple, bridge, wharf, market…has been preserved rather intact. All the houses were made of rare wood, decorated with lacquered boards and panels engraved with Chinese characters. On the 4th, December 1999 the Old Town of Hoi An was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Hoi An is full of shops selling artwork, from lifelike memorial family portraits, to stylized images of Hoi An houses and streets. Next door to the art shops are places selling souvenir statues, ceramic plates, and “antique” bowls. You can have anything from dresses and trousers to shirts and hats made for a cheap price. It’s pleasurable enough just to pedal around on a bicycle and stop by restaurants on Trai Phu Street for a cup of tea and Chinese-style pastries.