Hoi An - Vietnam's must-see small town
Wednesday, 25 Oct 2006 14:42
Trieu Chau Assembly Hall, Hoi An, Vietnam (Photo: Pham Quoc Hung)
With its well-preserved old town, relaxed atmosphere and cultural sights, the small town of Hoi An in Vietnam is a popular place to see another side to the country.
With rich cultural experiences to be had in the likes of the capital Ha Noi and vibrant Saigon, holidaymakers looking for a break from the busier side of Vietnamese life can head for Hoi An's small-town feel.
Located on the coast of the South China Sea in central Vietnam, and home to 25,000 inhabitants, the old town is registered as a World Heritage site, has unique architecture, plenty of art and craft shops and, for those looking for a bargain, some talented tailors.
One of Hoi An's most distinctive features is its mix of cultures, this is particularly evident in the town's architecture and comes from its history as a trading port.
In the 17th century the town's foreign settlers included people from China, Japan, the Netherlands and India.
One of the top sights in the town is the Japanese Bridge (Chua Cua), a unique structure which has a large Buddhist pagoda attached to it. Nearby are grand Chinese meeting houses, which can be viewed for a small fee, as well as plenty of art galleries and crafts shops.
Some of the traditional homes backing onto the river in the old town also allow visitors to see how they work from the insidefor a small charge.
Another sight holidaymakers will not want to miss if they are planning to visit in mid-Autumn is a special festival where the town is decorated with hundreds of paper lanterns on the rooftops and awnings of buildings.
Visitors can also get out onto the beach at Cua Dai, which is around three kilometres from the town centre and home to some of the area's resort hotels.
Hoi An also makes a good hub for exploring other World Heritage sites relatively close by - including My Son and Hue.
Among the tour operators offering itineraries with stops in Hoi An are
Responsible travel,
Bales Worldwide and
Your Asia Holidays.
For more information on Vietnam see
www.vietnamtourism.com
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