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Hoi An Ancient Town is likened to a somber note in the melodious symphony of time, existing and evolving through the twists and turns of history. Exploring the ancient town, you will discover long-standing cultural values, unique ancient architectural styles, and engaging folk art activities. It promises to offer you an unforgettable journey.
The tourist area of Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site on 12/04/1999 for its ancient and mossy beauty, marking the imprint of a historical era. All of these create a distinctive feature that cannot be found anywhere else on this land.
Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town
Where is Hoi An Ancient Town Located?
Address: Minh An Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, about 30km southwest of Da Nang city center.
The ideal time to visit the ancient town is from February to April when the weather is pleasant, suitable for sightseeing and exploration. From May to August, there is beautiful sunshine, but sometimes it can be intense and sweltering, which may cause fatigue. The period from September to January is the rainy season, humid, so consider visiting the ancient town during this time.
Source: toigingiuvedep.vn
Transportation Route from Da Nang to Hoi An Ancient Town
Bus: Bus route 01 (departing from Da Nang Central Bus Station, endpoint: Hoi An Bus Station)
Hoi An Bus Station - Source: atgt.vn
Bus route 14 (departing from An Ha residential area, endpoint: Hoi An Bus Station)
Shuttle service to Hoi An Ancient Town is priced from 199,000 – 299,000 VND/one way with some prominent transport companies:
Da Nang shuttle
Shuttle to Hoi An Ancient Town – Bao Nguyen
For travelers coming from distant provinces, you can choose to travel by plane, train, or coach to Da Nang airports, train stations, and bus stations. From here, you can reach the ancient town by the aforementioned means of transportation. Alternatively, some provinces offer direct coach routes, which you can also consider for transportation.
History of the Formation of Hoi An Ancient Town
The ancient town was once one of the busiest and most bustling trading ports in Southeast Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries, where goods were exchanged among Western, Japanese, and Chinese merchant ships. Therefore, it was a cultural crossroads between various cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese, and French, reflected in its architectural style and ancient relics. The most typical example is the harmonious combination of ancient houses with deep yellow walls, embodying the spirit of the times.
Old Hoi An – Source: ngobadung.blogspot.com
The architecture of Hoi An Ancient Town stands out with moss-covered tiled roofs, accented with bright purple hues of bougainvillea flowers, creating a simple yet charming picture, reflecting the pure and hospitable nature of the people of Quang land. The streets in the old town are arranged like a chessboard, small, lovely, embracing the ancient houses closely. In front of the houses are sparkling lanterns, shining brightly in the night, which is a unique feature found only in the ancient town.
What Makes Hoi An Ancient Town Tourism Special?
This place is a convergence, a fusion of distinctive ethnic cultures with Eastern cultures from Japan, China, and French culture. Here, the cultural diversity of the ancient town largely emanates from its unique architectural structures.
Ancient Town Entrance Ticket – Source: dulichsontra.com
Each ticket includes a tour around and access to 4 out of 21 tourist attractions in Hoi An Ancient Town, including: Quan Cong Temple, Japanese Covered Bridge, Cam Pho Communal House, Minh Huong Assembly Hall, ancient houses (Phung Hung, Duc An, Quan Thang), churches (Tran Family Chapel, Nguyen Family Chapel), museums (Folk Culture, Ma Dịch Pottery, Sa Huynh Culture, and Hoi An Museum), assembly halls (Trieu Chau, Phuc Kien, Quang Trieu, Hai Nam), Japanese merchant tombs (Gu Sokukun, Tani Yajirobe, Banjiro), and the Dong Trong land. Additionally, groups of 8 or more people are exempt from guide fees.
Here are some notable tourist spots in the ancient town:
Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An Ancient Town
The Japanese Covered Bridge is considered the tourism symbol of the ancient town, embodying the soul of Hoi An's people and bearing witness throughout its history with numerous ups and downs. This ancient, serene temple sits quietly on a bridge spanning about 18 meters across a small branch of the Thu Bon River.
Hoi An Japanese Covered Bridge – Source: wikipedia.org
Representative of traditional Eastern architecture with wooden columns, lacquered in red, meticulously carved, reflecting Japanese culture on the streets of Hoi An ancient town with statues of standing animals – guardians in the temples and a roof statue of a sword stabbing into the back of the mamazu monster. Hence, the Japanese Covered Bridge is also known as the Japanese Bridge. With its distinctive architectural features, the Japanese Covered Bridge was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic in 1990 and appeared on the 20,000 VND banknote of Vietnam.
Tan Ky Old House
Tan Ky Old House is located at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An ancient town, the first ancient house honored as a national historical and cultural relic, and recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.
Tan Ky Old House – Source: Minh Hùng Nguyễn
The ancient house, over two hundred years old, was built in 1741 and was the residence for seven generations of the Le family. The house attracts many tourists with its unique architecture, reflecting the essence of the three Vietnamese – Chinese – Japanese cultures. Additionally, Tan Ky Old House, located in Hoi An ancient town, also preserves many precious antiques dating back approximately 550 – 600 years, including a unique set of horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences.
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
The assembly hall is located at 46 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An Ancient Town, Quang Nam Province, built since the 16th century, bearing the long-standing historical imprint and outstanding with its distinctive architecture, typical of Hoi An city.
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall – Source: @anna Lu
This is considered the most spacious and impressive assembly hall in Hoi An, attracting visitors with extremely exquisite and cleverly crafted architectural works, especially the Three-entrance Gate, the main hall, and the rear hall, embellishing the delicate and ancient beauty of Hoi An ancient town. Additionally, the place also preserves and displays many statues of deities, bronze bells, elaborate horizontal lacquered boards, and other valuable artifacts.
Quang Dong Assembly Hall
Quang Dong Assembly Hall, also known as Quang Trieu Assembly Hall or Ong Pagoda, is located at 176 Tran Phu, Minh An Ward, Hoi An City, and is an important historical monument of Hoi An ancient town with its deeply Chinese cultural architectural style.
Quang Dong Assembly Hall – Source: wowweekend.vn
Constructed in 1885 by Chinese merchants, the assembly hall is considered a religious and spiritual center for traders and an important community gathering place. Inside are valuable ancient artifacts such as horizontal lacquered boards, bronze incense burners, or Chinese enamel stools with jade inlays.
Tran Clan Church
The church is located in Hoi An Ancient Town at 21 Le Loi Street, Minh An Ward. It preserves long-standing traditional cultural values and ancient architecture. Tran Clan Church was built in 1802 to serve as a place of worship for the Tran clan ancestors.
Tran Clan House – Source: vov.vn
Covering an area of 1,500m2, Tran Clan Church is arranged with 3 sections, 2 wings, 1 main door, and 2 side doors, designed in the style of a garden house with typical Chinese architecture.
Admiring Hoi An Ancient Town at Night
Hoi An has captivated countless people with its serene and romantic charm, especially as night falls, when the ancient town becomes more enchanting than ever. Glittering lanterns hang in front of the ancient houses, casting reflections on the peaceful river, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere that makes Hoi An shine and sparkle.
Gazing at the image of Hoi An Ancient Town at night, taking a boat ride on the Hoai River, and participating in releasing lanterns, making wishes, is also an unforgettable experience.
Hoi An at Night – Source: pinterest
An indispensable activity in Hoi An at night is visiting the bustling night market and buying souvenirs, specialties of the ancient town, which will surely impress you at first sight. The land of the ancient town also offers tourists unforgettable experiences with folk games such as blindfolded pot hitting, barrel rolling, or singing folk songs,... From there, you will understand more about the beauty of folk culture in the Hoi An ancient town tourist area.
Especially, if you have the chance to visit Hoi An during the full moon festival, lantern festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, or Vu Lan Festival, you will immerse yourself in the vibrant space of lanterns, flower lanterns, and unique cultural activities.
Lantern Festival – Source: bonsaistyles.com
Exploring Handicraft Workshops
The Hoi An handicraft workshop, also known as Hoi An craft village, is located at 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Minh An Ward, Hoi An Ancient Town. Thanh Ha pottery village was formed in the 15th - 16th century when Hoi An was a bustling trading port.
Thanh Ha Pottery Village - Source: @caracat
Currently, there are 12 traditional craft villages such as woodworking, pottery, weaving, fabric, garment making, embroidery, lacquerware, rattan weaving, lacquerware, wood inlay, conical hat making, and lantern making. At the Hoi An handicraft workshop, tourists can admire numerous outstanding products ranging from oil paintings, wood carvings, artistic lanterns,... and purchase them as gifts or souvenirs.
Exploring Hoi An's Culinary Delights
Hoi An Old Town Chicken Rice
Chicken rice is a must-try specialty when visiting Hoi An, a dish that carries the unique flavor of Quang region. Fresh, fragrant, tender chicken meat from Tam Ky paired with fragrant, sticky rice grown along the Thu Bon River creates a distinctive flavor profile, truly unique to Hoi An chicken rice.
Hoi An Chicken Rice - Source: @_hunger.storiesss
You can savor this dish at Mrs. Buoi's Chicken Rice stall.
Quang-style Noodles in Hoi An Ancient Town
Quang-style Noodles are a famous specialty of Quang Nam, made from finely ground flour noodles, flattened into thin cakes, with a certain crispness, mixed with delicious additives. The bowl of noodles emanates an enticing aroma with broth simmered from pork bones, supplemented with fresh and tasty vegetables, lean pork, shrimp, and chicken.
When served, you can add roasted peanuts, crushed peanuts, sliced green onions, aromatic herbs, spicy red chili,... Some eateries in Hoi An Ancient Town you can visit to enjoy this dish are:
Mr. Hai's Quang-style Noodles
Aunt Hat's Quang-style Noodles
Phuong's Banh Mi
Phuong's Banh Mi is a renowned bakery brand known for its crispy, fragrant baguette, rich flavor, and creamy sauce. The bread is made from fresh, high-quality ingredients with a unique recipe compared to other bakeries.
Phuong's Banh Mi – Source: @lee.seulyena
Hoi An's Cao Lau Noodles
Cao Lau is a famous specialty in Quang region, meticulously prepared with a combination of various ingredients such as authentic Quang Nam rice noodles, well-marinated pork, and a variety of accompanying herbs and vegetables like cucumber, starfruit, banana flower, bean sprouts, coriander, lettuce, water spinach, and mustard greens.
Cao Lau Noodles – Source: @thesweetpeach
Thanh's Cao Lau
Bà Bé's Cao Lau
Old Town Hoi An Cafes
The Old Town cafes are essential stops when exploring Hoi An. After strolling through the narrow alleys, sitting down to enjoy a hot cup of coffee allows you to feel the gentle, slow-paced life and admire the beautiful streets, bringing a sense of relaxation and tranquility. Moreover, these Old Town cafes are perfect spots for unique check-in photos, showcasing a charm that can only be found in Hoi An.
Faifo Coffee - Old Town Hoi An
Cocobox Juice Bar & Cafe
Cocobana
Accommodation Options in Old Town Hoi An
Central Hoi An Hotel
This hotel boasts a prime location in the heart of the Old Town, exuding traditional charm with its unique architecture: yellow walls, red tiles, lanterns. With a system of 20 spacious rooms, complete amenities, and luxurious services such as restaurants, swimming pool, breakfast buffet, Central Hoi An Hotel is considered one of the most beautiful hotels in Hoi An Old Town.
Central Hoi An Hotel - Source: booking.com
Thanh Van 1 Hotel
Thanh Van 1 Hotel is situated in the heart of Hoi An's Old Town with 25 rooms built in a modern French style, featuring an open-air swimming pool for a refreshing experience. It offers three types of rooms: standard, deluxe, and luxurious, catering to the preferences of travelers.
Vinci Villa Hoi An
This 3-star hotel in Hoi An Old Town features a charming architecture including a private restaurant, spacious outdoor swimming pool, bar, guest lounge, and a clean organic vegetable garden. The rooms are fully equipped with luxurious amenities. Moreover, Vinci Villa enjoys a strategic location, very close to famous attractions such as Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (720m), Japanese Covered Bridge (610m), Old Town (640m), and Tan Ky Ancient House (720m).
Hotel in Hoi An Old Town - Allegro
Allegro 5-star Hotel is located in the heart of the Old Town, offering 94 rooms with a unique and charming style, blending traditional Vietnamese classical architecture with hints of ancient relics in the Old Quarter. Guests can unwind with spa massages or sauna sessions, or stay fit at the sports fitness center.
Loong Boong Homestay Hoi An
Loongboong Homestay is nestled in a small alley near Cua Dai Beach and An Bang Beach, approximately 1.5km from Hoi An's Old Town center. The homestay exudes a vintage, classic style with 8 differently decorated rooms named after the essence of Tra Que herb village: Carrot Room, Lime Room, Fennel Room, Perilla Room, Mint Room, Lemongrass Room, Basil Room, and Rosemary Room.
The serene and gentle ambiance, reminiscent of bygone eras in Hoi An's Old Town, has enchanted countless travelers visiting the once bustling trading port of Southeast Asia. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will be more equipped with information about Vietnam's unique cultural heritage.
Posted by: Thương Lê
Keywords: Hoi An Ancient Town | Admiring the Serene and Timeless Architectural Beauty
