Introduction
Hoi An is an important trading
port during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both
indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site
so it is officially recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Geography
Hoi An is on the coast of the
East Sea in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is located in Quang
Nam province. And it is bordered with Bien Dong in the east, with Dien Ban and
Duy Xuyen district in the west, to the south is Duy Xuyen district and to the
north is Dien Ban district. The area is 6,146,88 hectares.
History
The name Hoi An was formed for long ago
but it is difficult to determine the exact time of its introduction. People has
a legend: Hoai river was the different name of Thu Bon river so they called Hoi
An being Hoai Pho, then it turned into Phai Pho and had name Faifo. After that the
French used Faifo Hoi to indicate the name Hoi An on the official map of
Indochina.
Population
Hoi An town became to city in January
2008, based on total the area of natural land, population and executive
departments of Hoi An town and a small part of Dien Ban district. The population is about 121.176 persons.
Sightseeing
Quan Cong temple also called Ong Pagoda
by Hoi An people or Trung Han Quan Cung by the Chinese, stands at 24 Tran Phu
street, near the central market with a great scale, the system of splendid,
brilliant worship. It was constructed in
1653 and dedicated to Quan Cong (Quan Van Truong) - an Chinese general who is known
as for loyalty, sincerity, integrity and justice. Thus it makes sense that this
temples was erected in his honor. Though restored many times (in 1753, 1783,
1827,1864, 1904 and 1966), the temple's original structure has been kept almost
the same. The temple’s structure is composed 4 parts : one vestibule, left-side, right-side and main
room. The main room has Quan Cong statue that is nearly 3m high. His face is
red with phoenix-like eyes and a long beard. Two hands are clasped together. He
is dressed green royal robe and majestically rides in a kneeling white horse. On
the left of Quan Cong is a statue of General Chau Xuong - a military mandarin and on the right is the
administrative mandarin Quan Binh. Besides, there are many horizontal lacquered
boards, pairs of parallel sentences, poems written by famed intellectuals. In
summary, Quan Cong temple is not only the religious architectural monument that
has great value but also an interesting attraction for tourists.
Phuc Kien assembly hall stays
at 46 Tran Phu street. This assembly hall was created by a group of Fujian, China in 1690. Its function is a traditional
assembly hall for this Chinese ethnic group but later it was transformed into a
temple dedicated to their deity named Thien Hau – the goddess of sea who
protects sailors from danger. Then there is goddess Thuan Phong Nhi, who is
able to listen to the sound of a ship even at a distance of thousand miles. At
last the goddess Thien Ly Nhan is also in the altar and she is able to see
those distant ships. The temple contains a plethora of statues, bronze drums,
bronze bells and horizontal lacquered board engraved with Chinese characters. All
of them combine and arrange together tend to imply the Chinese philosophy of
happiness. Besides its architecture, nowadays many events and activities occur to
celebrate Chinese’s festivals that make Phuc Kien Assembly Hall a wonderful
destination for visitors from both inside and outside of Vietnam.
Pagoda Bridge was
built by Japanese merchants in Hoi An in
the 17th century so sometimes it is called Japanese bridge. Bridge’s
aim is create a link with the Chinese quarters across the stream. Due to the
effects of natural disaster, Pagoda bridge was restored many times and losing the
Japanese architectural elements, instead of Vietnamese & Chinese architectural
style. This bridge was constructed with a roof so that it could be used as a
shelter from both rain and sun. In 1719, during Nguyen Phuc Chu Lord trip, he
renamed it into ‘Lai Vien Kieu’ that
means “Bridge for passengers by from Afar”. It is nearly 20m long, connects 2
major streets of Hoi An’s Old Quarter: Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street and Tran Phu
street, looks over the peaceful Thu Bon
River. At two end of the bridge, there are 2 sculptures of a dog and of a
monkey. They are symbols of sacredness in Japanese culture. On the other hand,
according to the records, the construction of the bridge was initiated in the
dog year and was finished in the monkey year. Although calling it Pagoda
bridge, it has no Buddha statue. Inside the bridge worships Bac De Tran Vo - is
considered the God of Weather. People believe that he controls all kinds of
weather changes and natural calamities, so the sailors both worship and fear him.
Pagoda Bridge is an invaluable property and has officially been established as
the symbol of Hoi An.
Located at 101
Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Tan Ky ancient house was constructed two
centuries ago and was considered as the most beautiful, ancient house in Hoi An. The owner of the house has
preserved its furniture carefully. The house bears the meaning of Vietnamese culture
history. It was built from traditional materials by clever local artisans and
was influenced by Chinese and Japanese styles. Its charming and elegant designs
give it a cozy aspect. The architecture of the house has been kept almost
intact, with only small repairs when necessary. The house had a large wooden
door, but no window. The facade of the house is a place for store while , the
back of the house is near Hoi An river which was very convenient for importing
and exporting goods. There are four rooms in Tan Ky ancient house: one for
welcoming the Chinese merchants, one is the living room, the third is the
courtyard and the last one is the bedroom. All of them are small but covered
with various beautiful antiques mainly made of wood. This is really an unmissed
place when going Hoi An.
Gastronomy
With the location of coastal estuary,
the confluence of the waterway transport routes and also a convergence of continuity
economic, cultural over the centuries, Hoi An has a diverse culinary background
and bring distinct nuances. In 2011, the world famous online travel site - Tripadvisor voted and published a list of 10
destinations having the most attractive culinary in Asia, where the traditional
dishes of Hoi An was ranked at No.6. According to the description of Tripadvisor,
the famous traditional dish of Hoi An as cao lau, Quang noodles, banh xeo… Not only is the food delicious and
plentiful, but also is the restaurant’s decoration in Hoi An distinctive
feature. They often hang some old paintings, put flower pots or landscaping or
crafts around. Some restaurants also add aquarium, bonsai ... that make a
relaxing, comfortable space for the guests.
Get it
By plane
Hoi
An has no airport but it is also easy to transfer from Da Nang airport. From
here you can hire a taxi to go to Hoi An. And it usually takes 45 minutes.
By train
Unfortunately,
Hoi An doesn’t have any railway so Da Nang is the nearest train station.
By coach
Luckily,
there are 2 bus station in Hoi An
From
Da Nang, it takes 45 minutes, Hue – 2,5 hours. Having many buses per day, so
you can chose any time to arrive in Hoi An.
