Hoian –World culture Heritage site since 1999. Beautiful colorful peaceful Lantern town , it used to be trading port since 15th century for all traders from different countries as China ,Japan .Holland, Portugal, France , England … .With amazing unique architecture of old houses like Venice in Vietnam
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, covering the area of 1,409 km².
Weather:
Hoi An city possesses warm weather the whole year with its average temperature of 29 Degree Celsius. The city only has two main seasons: rainy and dry seasons instead of four seasons like in Northern Vietnam. The best time to visit Hoi An is from February to April, when rainfall is low and temperatures are comfortable.
How to get there:
Hoi An has no airport, and no train station either. The only way to get there is by road. You can hire a taxi from the near city of Da Nang, which does have an airport with daily flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other large Vietnamese cities. There’s also a train station in Da Nang, and bus services are plentiful.
Highlights:
Originally a seaport from the ancient kingdom of Champa, Hoi An became one of Southeast Asia’s major international ports in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Today, parts of the city look much the same as they did 150 years ago with hundreds of old houses, some over two centuries old, made of precious wood in the traditional style. The town was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 and many of the original houses and other features of Hoi An have been preserved.
Hoi An is one of the few places you will still find genuine Vietnamese architecture, but is also a harmonious integration of other architectural styles influenced by the Japanese and Chinese traders who settled there in the past. The famous Japanese Covered Bridge was constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community in Hoi An and reflects a preference for understatement. It links to the Chinese quarter with its fascinating temples and assembly halls. Many of the historic buildings are now museums featuring exhibitions on the pottery trade, silkworm raising, silk weaving and other historical aspects of the town. Some of the highlights are Museum of Trade Ceramics, Cantonese Meeting Hall, Chinese All-Community Meeting Hall or My Son Sanctuary – The holy Champa city, which was recently recognized as a World Heritage site.
Hoi An ancient town attracts thousands of tourists also for its unique festivals. There are many interesting festivals that you must see such as Mid-Autumn Festival, Hoi An Lantern Festival or Lunar New Year.
What to do :
Visiting Hoi An ancient town, tourists are offered a lot of interesting activities. One of the most popular thing to do is strolling around Hoi An’s rambling market streets- lined with centuries old houses, quite boutique and famous tailors.
Hoi An,paradise for shopping all tailor made, is the place for silk, so have your clothes made. Try on some ao dai- Vietnamese traditional custom or whatever you want of clothing as suit , skirts…Silver hand made , Shoe making …
Don’t forget to visit art galleries and lunch in one food outlets, watching the timeless scenery unfold before your eyes. And finally, get a couple of lanterns as souvenirs for relatives and friends at home.
Food in Hoian are amazing delicious as Cao Lau , My Quang -special local noodle ; chicken Rice Com Ga….
Otherwise , you can take easy riding on bicycle to countryside for beautiful peace farming area or to sandy beach to relaxing or swimming
Travel tips
Aggressive vendors, motorbikes taxi, cyclo are increasingly becoming an issue in Hoi An, do not give them your business. Take a cooking course in Hoi an then try the Hoi an recipes at home.