Table Of Contents
- Introduction
- Hoi An Old Town Vietnam Location
- History Of Hoi An Ancient Town
- What makes Hoi An Ancient Town Special?
- Hoi An Ancient Town Features
- Hoi An Ancient Town Highlights
- Things to do in Hoi An Ancient Town
- Hoi An Ancient Town awards
Introduction
Hoi An ancient town (Hoi An Old Town) was formed and developed in the 16th century on the banks of the romantic Hoai River, in the coastal plain of Quang Nam province. Hoi An used to be one of the busiest international trading ports in Asia.
In the period from the 16th century, this was the place where the goods of merchants from China, Japan, the Netherlands, India, and Spain gathered… Therefore, Hoi An is considered a convergence and transaction point cross between East and West cultures. Up to now, Hoi An has become a famous and indispensable destination for the holidays of all kinds of tourists.
Hoi An Old Town Vietnam Location
The ancient town of Hoi An lies on the Thu Bon river, in the coastal plain of Quang Nam province, Vietnam. Hoi An ancient town is situated 30 km south of Danang. It’s 60km to the My Son Sanctuary and 140km to Hue city.
Located at a primary location, Hoi An has both sea and island. This has created ecological and geographical diversity. The land area is about 46.22 km2 bordering Duy Xuyen district to the south, to the west and north to Dien Ban district, and to the east is the 7km long coast.
Cu Lao Cham island is the famous World Biosphere Reserve from Hoi An about 15km. There are many old quarters built in the 16th century, which still exist almost intact. Since being recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999, Hoi An has become a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists.
History Of Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An was born in the second half of the 16th century when Vietnam was under the rule of the Le Dynasty. In 1527, Mac Dang Dung got the throne, the Dong Kinh area was under the control of the Mac dynasty. In 1533, Nguyen Kim on behalf of the Le Dynasty gathered soldiers against the Mac Dynasty. After Nguyen Kim died five years, his son-in-law Trinh Kiem held power, and the Nguyen Kim family’s power was going down.
In 1558, Nguyen Kim’s second son, Nguyen Hoang, along with his family and some soldiers retreated to entrench in the Thuan Hoa area. After 1570, Nguyen Hoang continued to hold power to defend Quang Nam. Together with his son Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Nguyen Hoang built a fortress, tried to develop the economy of Dang Trong, and expanded trade with foreign countries. Since then, Hoi An has become the busiest international trading port in Southeast Asia at that time.
About the name Hoi An. According to the western records, Hoi An was called Faifo in the past, which means a prosperous port town. But this is just a name, not considered official, but “Hoai Pho” is the official name before the name Hoi An is used.
What makes Hoi An Ancient Town Special?
The gentle and ancient beauty
Not too ostentatious and noisy, Hoi An simply and gently blends into the city atmosphere with a slow pace of life, different from the rush of other cities. If you visit Hoi An early in the morning, you will feel it all. It is really quiet, gentle very suitable for those who are in need of space to rest after the hustle and bustle of life.
Thanks to favorable geographical conditions, Hoi An has become more and more prosperous, giving itself a beauty that is not duplicated. Six centuries have passed, and the busiest trading port has now been replaced by a rustic, simple town. It is shown through ancient architecture, small and simple houses or romantic lantern streets, etc.
Hoi An Ancient Town, the cultural exchange hub
It used to be a crowded and busiest trading port that existed for nearly 200 years. Since the Nguyen Dynasty allowed the opening of trade, this place has welcomed a lot of merchant ships from all over Vietnam and Japan, China, the Netherlands, India, etc. This has created favorable conditions for the trade, and culture exchange from other countries imported into Hoi An; creating a colorful and multicultural Hoi An.
Hoi An culture has the cultural interference of Eastern countries including China, Japan, and Vietnamese culture. There is also the interference between ancient cultures, which is considered a social miniature of three ancient cultures, namely Champa, Sa Huynh, and Dai Viet. However, this place still retains the soul of the Vietnamese people.
Hoi An Old Town- the place of traditional festivals
Based on the history of being a busy trading port, and a place of cultural exchange for many countries, Hoi An also has interesting and unique festivals that interfere with many different beliefs and customs. This seems to create a unique highlight in the Hoi An ancient town’s uniqueness, which is enjoyed by both domestic and foreign tourists.
Currently, Hoi An tourism has famous festivals such as festivals to commemorate the ancestors of the profession, festivals to admire the village gods, and to celebrate saints and religions.
Especially the Hoi An lantern festival (Hoi An Full Moon Festival) on the 14th and 15th lunar months. Along with that, there are many community activities such as Bingo games, folk-song singing, etc that seem to have been forgotten decades ago and are still found here.
Hoi An with traditional ancient architecture
It would be a big mistake to introduce Hoi An ancient town without mentioning the architecture. Many people say Hoi An is like a book of time, each page is a history page of culture. Famous for its traditional, harmonious architectural beauty of houses, golden walls, and streets.
Despite experiencing many ups and downs in history, Hoi An ancient town still retains its ancient beauty intact, with mossy silence in each brick, roof, and tree line. It is like an idyllic feature in the character and the kind, sincere soul of the Hoi An locals.
Hoi An Ancient Town Features
Hoi An Old Town Houses Style
Coming to Hoi An old town, visitors can easily see one- or two-storey townhouses with a narrow width (4-8 m), a very long depth (10-40 m) like a tubular. This is the most common type of house here.
Due to the harsh climate, the materials used to build houses have high strength and durability. Normally, the houses in the old town will have a wooden frame structure with brick walls separating the two sides. The layout of the premises will include sidewalks, patios, main houses, outbuildings, toilets, courtyards, three-room rear houses, and back gardens.
Whether small or large house in the ancient town of Hoi An ensures the harmony of space and nature with bonsai, rockery, … creating the overall beauty. Thanks to the unique architecture, the space of the house are always airy and full of sunshine. Bringing a positive atmosphere to the owner and creating excitement for visitors.
The mossy roofs
All the houses in Hoi An are roofed with tiles, in the form of two roofs. Most main houses and outbuildings do not share one roof, but two adjacent roof folds.
A special feature, the tile used for roofing in Hoi An is a type of tile made from clays, pretty thin, rough, square, slightly curved, about 22 cm long on each side, and roofed in the yin-yang style. After the roof is finished, the tiles will be fixed with strips of tiles that protrude vertically, increasing the rigidity of the roof. The roof is built high into a rectangular shape. This form and decoration have impressed the ancient town of Hoi An.
Hoi An Ancient Town Streets
The street is also a highlight that creates a unique beauty for this ancient city. The streets are arranged horizontally along with a chessboard style with short, beautiful streets, winding and embracing rows of houses.
Stepping through each of these small and beautiful streets, visitors will feel more clearly the beauty of Hoi An. You will see a part of the daily life of the people – a very peaceful and simple life.
Hoi An Ancient Town Highlights
The Japanese Covered Bridge
Chua Cau, also known as the Japanese Covered Bridge is located adjacent to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street and Tran Phu Street. This is a unique and typical architectural work and is considered a symbol of Hoi An. It was built by Japanese merchants around the middle of the 16th century.
Hoi An Old Town Merchant Houses
Tan Ky Old House
The Tan Ky old house was built nearly 200 years ago, has a tubular architecture with the interior divided into many compartments, each holding a separate function.
The front of the house is used to be a shop, the backside connects to the river wharf as a place to produce and import goods. The materials and interior are mainly wood and are very delicately carved. This old house is honored to become a National Heritage Site and is the only place to welcome Heads of State.
Phung Hung Old House
Located on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street, Phung Hung ancient house with a lifespan of more than 100 years. Possesses a unique structure which is also an outstanding architectural work of the old town. The house has a high wooden attic and a wide corridor surrounding it, showing the exchange between Asian architectural styles.
This is the place that still keeps the information about the lifestyle of merchants in the ancient trading port of Hoi An. This ancient house was granted the certificate of a historical-cultural relic in June 1993.
Hoi An Assembly Halls
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (Fujian Assembly Hall)
Phuc Kien assembly hall was built in 1697 by the ancient Chinese who come from Fujian province in China. This is not only the clubhouse of the Chinese businessmen but also the important religious temple to worship the sea mother Mazu- the goddess who helps and recures the accident boats on the Ocean.
Quang Dong Assembly Hall (Cantonese Assembly Hall)
Quang Dong assembly hall (address – 176 Tran Phu Street) also known as Quang Trieu assembly hall was built in 1885, initially to worship Mazu and Confucius.
But after 1911, it moved to worship Tien Hien and Quan Cong. The harmonious combination of wood, stone and decorative motifs has created a unique beauty for the assembly hall.
Trieu Chau Assembly Hall (Chaozhou Assembly Hall)
Trieu Chau Assembly Hall is the famous communal house of Chinese traders. It was built in 1845 and soon became famous due to its sophisticated architecture.
This assembly hall is used to worship the God of wind to bless the merchant boats safe to travel on the Ocean.
Hoi An Old Town’s Temples
Quan Cong Temple
This temple was first built in 1653 and has undergone 6 restorations since then. Ong Pagoda in Hoi An ancient town that has majestic and monumental architecture.
It is the place to worship the Quan Van Truong statue, so it is also known as the Quan Cong Temple. It is considered the religious center of the people of Quang Nam province in the past and a place where traders often go to pray for good luck.
Minh Huong Temple
It is the only remaining Buddhist temple in the heart of Hoi An ancient town. Not only has the beautiful architecture and landscape, but also preserves almost intact the wooden buddha statues carved by the artisans of Kim Bong carpentry village in Hoi An. Usually, on holidays or full moon days, many people come here to burn incense and pray.
Tran Family Chapel
The Tran family temple was built by a mandarin of the Tran family from China in 1802 according to the feng shui principles of both the Chinese and the Vietnamese.
Located on a large area of land with many items: the temple of grandparents, the display space of relics related to the family, houses, etc. Coming to Hoi An, visitors should not miss this place if they want to understand more about ancient culture.
Hoi An Old Town Museums
Hoi An cultural and historical museum
The museum was built in 1989, a place to display 212 original artifacts and documents made of ceramics, bronze, iron, wood, paper, etc.
Thereby reflecting the development stages of this urban – trading port from 2nd century AD to the 15th century and 15th – 19th century.
Hoi An Museum of Trade Ceramics
Sa Huynh Culture Museum Hoi An
The place provides quite a lot of information about the inhabitants of Sa Huynh culture – the owner of the commercial port of Hoi An.
Currently, the museum displays about 216 artifacts dating from 2,000 years ago discovered and excavated from 1959 to 1994. All of them are considered unique and valuable collections of Vietnam today.
Hoi An Traditional Medicines Museum
This museum has been in operation since mid-March 2019, displaying more than 200 artifacts and documents related to the traditional medical profession.
Along with that, there are many special spaces such as Northern medicine sales area, re-inspection area for drying, storing drugs, space for processing some medicines…
Things to do in Hoi An Ancient Town
Enjoy the beauty of Hoi An Lanterns by night
You may not know, Hoi An is likened to a “lantern city” when it owns thousands of lanterns of all colors, sizes, and shapes. Next to the rows of houses with eye-catching golden walls.
Hoi An nightlife will give visitors a completely different feeling when wearing a shimmering, blurry beauty. This is even more attractive on the banks of the romantic Hoai River. Those who come here once will be integrated into the rhythm of life and that romantic space
Explore Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An has never ceased to be attractive in the eyes of travelers, especially after receiving many awards and honoring it, it is even more attractive.
Spend a day walking around the old town, you will definitely feel lost in a country that you think only exists in a fairy tale. The scenery is idyllic, the pace of life is gentle, the people are friendly and welcoming. Or you can also try the feeling of walking on the street by cyclo or bicycle, going through the streets and alleys to admire the ancient architecture and take some commemorative photos.
Admire the sunset on the bank of the Hoai River
Hoai River is a branch of Thu Bon River, a gentle river located right in the city embracing the old town. Visitors can take a walk along the river or choose a roadside coffee shop to admire the river and old town.
In addition, you can rent a boat to go along the river, watching the sunset gradually fall with colorful lights emanating from the lantern streets.
Sample the Hoi An street food
Not as large as other cities, Hoi An is small but there is no shortage of places to eat and delicious food. You can stop at a roadside sidewalk shop or eateries and restaurants in the old town to enjoy specialties such as Cao Lau; Quang noodles, dumplings, cauldron cakes, fried mussels crackers, wet cakes with grilled meat, pancakes, etc.
Not only delicious food but also the decoration and service make a very good impression on travelers.
- Tour recommended Hoi An Street Food Tour
Hoi An Ancient Town awards
With the values that Hoi An ancient town has and is preserving for hundreds of years, it has become a prominent name on the tourist map of Vietnam and the world.
In recent years, Hoi An has excelled when mentioned and honored on tourism forums, international newspapers/TV channels. The following “achievements” is the pride of Hoi An in particular and of Vietnam in general.
It is also thanks to these things that the name of the ancient town is becoming more and more widely known, making everyone want to come here at least once in life.
- Hoi An ancient town was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage (December 4, 1999).
- Hoi An has been certified as an ASEAN Green Tourism City by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism – Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
- Hoi An entered the top of the world’s most popular destinations in 2021 – Award voted by travelers via TripAdvisor
- “Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination in 2019” by World Travel Awards – the world tourism award in the Asia-Pacific region.
- “The most charming city in the world in 2019” by the famous travel magazine Travel and Leisure.
- Hoi An Ancient Town leads in the Google search list and Hoi An image was honored on the homepage of Google.com on July 16, 2019.
- For two consecutive years, Hoi An ancient town has been ranked by readers of the American newspaper Travel & Leisure as the top 15 best tourist cities in Asia.
- Hoi An was voted by the international television channel CNN as one of the 10 most romantic cities in the world.
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