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Destinations: Hoi
An (Quang Nam) travel & tours information
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Not far away from Danang international
airport (30km), Hoi An town is small and peaceful,
the kind of place where you may get stuck for
a few days to a week, whether it is intentional
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 friendly
local people still create an inviting environment.
Hoi An was an one of the 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.
Hoi An, in the past, 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 Cue 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.
Weather Hoi an
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Hoi an maps
Option
tours to visit Hoi an
- Hanoi:
- Hanoi:
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