Hoi An is an ancient town down the Thu Bon River, on the coastal plain of Quang Nam Province, for about 30 km south of Da Nang City. Hoi An used to be known as the international market with many different names such as Lam Ap, Faifo, Hoai Pho and Hoi An is the most common one now.
What is special about Hoi An is that this little port town is in an incredible state of preservation. It includes some of the most densely-concentrated sights in Viet Nam with its old streets which are bordered with ancient houses and assembly halls, its pagodas, temples, ancient wells and tombs. In total, there are more than a thousand places of interest. The architecture in Hoi An is characterized by a harmonious blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese culture. After many centuries, Hoi An is still respectful of its traditions, folk festivals, beliefs and of its sophisticated culinary art. Located in a quiet environment, Hoi An is surrounded by peaceful villages famous for crafts such as carpentry, bronze making, ceramic…
Researchers said that most of the buildings in Hoi An underwent restoration at the beginning of the 19th century, even if some of them might be constructed long time ago. The ancient architecture is shown most clearly in the Ancient Town that is located in Minh An Ward. It covers about 2 square kilometers and almost of all famous relics in Hoi An are gathered here. The streets are very short and narrow, having a winding, crossing as the chessboard style. The topography of the ancient town tilt gradually from north to south. The buildings in the old town are built mostly with traditional materials such as: brick, wood and no more than two floors. The trace of time is able to find not only on the architectural design of each building but also everywhere like: on the yin-yang roof tiles covered with moss and plants; the old gray mold walls; the pictures carved on a strange animal, or describing an old story… Having inherited a multi-cultural architecture which is so varied and sophisticated, Hoi An must have attracted numerous and talented workers in carpentry, ceramics, and woodcarving from China, Japan and other regions of Viet Nam.
For centuries, Hoi An had developed into a melting pot of various nationalities who came to the area, and brought along their own cultures. Accordingly, Hoi An features the co-existence of indigenous customs and habits and those imported by foreign settlers.
