Hoi An, a survival of several cultures
Hoi An is one of the most visited small towns in Vietnam. UNESCO has, of course, given this small charming town the boost. In parts of the old city, it is forbidden to use motor vehicles, so it makes a change from the rest of Vietnam. I celebrated the entrance to the year 2023 in this town as a part of my south Vietnam trip.
History of Hoi An
Hoi An means a peaceful meeting place, and Hoi Ans Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port. Its buildings date from the 15th to 19th century. The street plans reflect the indigenous and foreign influences combined to produce this unique UNESCO heritage site.
Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum
One of the first museums I noticed in this city was the Precious Heritage Art Gallery. This museum is opened by Réhahn, the world-famous french photographer that has made Hoi An his hometown. Here you see his unique fine art photography and documentary styles. At the same time, together with his pictures, it portrays traditional costumes and artifacts of all 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is a free museum and worth a visit.
The town reflects a combination of several foreign cultures, like Chinese, Japanese, and later European. The houses are tiled, and the wooden components are carved with traditional motifs. They are arranged tightly side-by-side in unbroken rows along narrow streets. In addition to the old wooden craftwork, the brick/concrete walls are painted yellow all over town.
The old houses
The old traditional houses are narrow but long and over two floors. Very typical, they have a reception room first, and behind that, you have a backyard that provides daylight and rainwater for domestic use. The internal details as walls, doors, and windows, are carved wood.
I visited five or six of these ancient houses, and the layout was very similar, but at the same time, they all had their uniqueness. I am fascinated with these wooden walls that have become dark of age. The last ancient house I visited was where the family still lived after several generations. It was free to enter, and the lady in the house showed me around. Her husband was a silversmith, so they had silver jewelry for sale.
The Japanese bridge
Chua Cau generally referred to as the Japanese Covered Bridge, is one of the most iconic sights in Hoi An’s old town. It was constructed by Japanese merchants in 1593, and in 1653, a small temple was erected at the center of the bridge. It is free to enter the bridge, but if you want to visit the temple, you must buy a ticket. After seeing many temples in Vietnam, I choose not to enter this small one. The bridge is lit up nicely at nighttime.
The Nightlife
As I knew before I arrived in Hui An, this is a touristic city. And the old town gets very crowded at night. All the tourist shops and the many restaurants get very busy. When you walk down to the river, you can see all the small boats with lanterns that are transporting tourists. You can also buy this candlelight in a paper basket that you can send floating on the river for good luck.
Woop Woop bar
It is not often I advertise for bars since I rarely visit them. But I had been recommended this bar before I went to Hoi An, so I thought I should try it. It was the only Gay bar I visited in Vietnam. It was a nice bar run by a Vietnamese and European couple. I was there for a while on New Year’s eve; it was a mixed crowd. At midnight I went down to the river to see if there were any firework, which it was not. Anyway, I had some lovely days in this small city; if you are in the area, it is worth a visit.
