HoiAn Old town is located in Quang Nam province, Central area of Vietnam. This town is well known as one of the must-see attractions on this shaped-S country… Lied on the riverside of Thu Bon river, this site was considered by Japanese and Chinese merchants to be one of the largest harbors for trading from all of South East Asia in the 18th century. Fortunately, Hoi An was not ravaged during the resistance war against the French colonialists and the US imperialists. Nowadays, among many developing and modernizing cities, it has retained untouched beauties during long many years. It features 2-floor houses painted yellow, narrow streets, traditional architecture, and handicrafts… , which have been well preserved till now. In 1999, UNESCO recognized Hoi An as a World Heritage site. The town becomes a tourist attraction – a highlight of Central tourism. Many visitors from China, Japan, Korea… are very interested its traditional beauties. During 3-day stay, I discovered why they love this place and memorable images of Hoi An will be unforgettable in my mind:
- The splendor of night
When I arrived in HoiAn, it was dark. That is when this town is most beautiful with dozens of lanterns hanging in long ranges. They hung lanterns everywhere: on the streets, walk side, bridges, the cute little shops, housefront, riverfront which have the same decorative style. It’s even more surprising when their lights reflect off the surface of the river. Lantern is a characteristic of HoiAn, which shows its antique. Besides, if you want to own a lantern for your house, you can find one at some stores with many options of type and size. Shopkeepers usually hang them at the storefront to make a fanciful wall of light and make its beauty more catchy…
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Traditional architecture of HoiAn
HoiAn ancient town is the complex of many classic two-floor houses next door overlooking the small streets about 3m wide. In front of houses, owners usually plant paper flowers or lagerstroemia to create very airy space for travelers to roam during the day. Some streets in the center as Nguyen Thai Hoc, Tran Phu, Phan Chu Trinh are where many travelers drop in stores for clothing, accessories, sewing, pottery, handicraft items. Moreover, there are many coffee shops, bars, coming up with a classic décor suitable to the peace of the old town. You can easily find a corner somewhere, sipping a cup of Vietnam coffee and watch people glide through on the streets.
Moreover, visit all temples and chapels in this town along centre streets. That’s typical of HoiAn ancient town, where there used to be a lot of Japanese traders, Chinese live and build their trades.
- Cycling on the streets
This peaceful city is a great place to cycle. You can rent a bike for the whole day at VND50,000 (USD2.5). Leisurely ride a bike on the road and avoid people walking, which’s pretty cool. A sense of relief will follow you throughout the journey. Worries or sadness will disappear immediately. And don’t forget to go by the waterfront and enjoy the wind blowing through your face.
- Very delicious cuisine
HoiAn is a miniature culinary paradise. There are so many delicious dishes be listed. I will call out some of the dishes that I have tried during my stay here together their very reasonable prices:
Quang noodle VND35,000; Nam An Icecream – VND5,000, Chicken rice Mrs.Boi – 22 Phan Chu Trinh Str – VND35,000, Bread Mrs. Phuong – 02 Phan Chu Trinh Str (corn milk and dumplings as well) – From VND20,000, Meat skewer – VND10,000, Corn sugar soup – VND10,000/cup.
~ To be continue ~
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