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 Hoi
An Ancient Town Vietnam Information
Not far away from Danang (30km) Hoi
An town is small and peaceful, the
kind of place where you may get
stuck for a few days, whether it is
intentionasl or not. Originally
known as Faifo, this antique town is
bordered on its southern side by the
Thu Bon River, along which there's a
number of small cafes.
Despite the fact that it is now a
tourist haven, the artistic
atmosphere and local friendly people
create an inviting environment.
Hoi An was an important port
developed in 17th century and
remained so for a long time. There
used to be canals parallel to the
streets, so merchandise could be
loaded straight from the back of
houses onto the boats. Hoi An’s
continuance as a port lasted right
up until the early years of the 20
century, when the river became
silted up forcing the cargo ships to
call at Da Nang instead.
In the past Hoi An has been used by
the Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch,
French and the large remaining
Chinese community where all sorts of
produce and wares were traded.
Remnants of these past traders’
influences can still be seen lining
the streets of Hoi An. There are
nine different types of historical
sites in Hoi An with an average age
of 200 years. They include private
houses, family chapels, community
halls, communal houses, temples,
pagodas, bridges, wells and tombs.
Many of these buildings have been
maintained close to their original
form, allowing you imagination to
recreate a prosperous trading town.
The houses are small and colorful
with wooden doors and two round
"wooden house's eyes" above, window
shutters and ornamental furniture. A
pleasant change from the iron bars
and metal grates of other towns.
 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. At the market
place beside the river, you can pick
up almost anything you want.
Tourists are often being lured into
the markets to buy silk and to have
quality garments tailor made. You
can have anything from dresses and
trousers to shirts and hats made for
a cheap price.
Another noticeable quality of Hoi An
is its relative silence. There are
few cars and people do not feel the
urge to use their horns every two
seconds. The streets are filled with
the hum of voices, motorbikes and
the shuffling of thongs along the
ground. Hoi An is small enough to
get around on foot, and you will
need a set of wheels if you are
going to Cua Dai Beach, or on a day
trip to the Marble Mountains or Da
Nang.
A relaxing activity around sunset is
to hire a boat from the waterside by
the market place. Many of the locals
will wait on the river and offer you
this service throughout the day and
night.
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