Hoi An (Hội An) is a city in the Quảng Nam Province. It is located on the south central coast of Vietnam and below Da Nang. Hoi An (Hội An) is a city in the Quảng Nam Province. It is located on the south central coast of Vietnam and below Da Nang.
Formerly called Faifo, the city can look back on a long history, some of which can still be seen today. Back in the days, Hoi An was a strategic point for trade and business. After most business moved to Da Nang, the place is mostly a tourist attraction today.
Ancient Town
Due to its long history, there are many influences from different cultures in the city. Be it from the Cham (Malayo-Polynesian people) or from the Japanese and Chinese culture.
The compact Old Town offers traditional architecture, temple, French-colonial houses and a lot of shops and eating places for tourists. If you cross the bridge to the island of An Hoi, you have great panorama of the buildings along side the river.
In 1999 the Hoi An Ancient Town became a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the past, when Chinese and Japanese merchants used the town as a hub, Hoi An was split into two parts, connected by the “Japanese Bridge”. The more than 400 year old covered bridge was built by Japanese community and survived until today.
Through the roof, people used to find refuge for rain. Inside is a temple for the God of weather, Tran Vo Bac De. This was feared by the fishermen, but also worshiped.
In the course of time the bridge became more and more a symbol of Hoi An. A stylized version became the logo of the city.
Hoi An is known for clothing and shoes. You find hundreds of shops selling everything from top to bottom. The shops have a strong influence on the cityscape of the tourism hot spots.
There are also a lot of tailors. So if you can’t find anything you like, you can have it made.
Professional shipping traffic has shifted from Hoi An to Da Nang. Nevertheless, it feels like nearly every inhabitant of the city has a ship or boat, with which he likes to sail you through the area or take you to an island.
Sellers offer lanterns with candles on the bank, which are left in the water by tourists.
