30 km from Danang, here is Hoi An, an evocative town to be included in every Vietnam tour.
The town of lanterns and canals
Hoi An certainly deserves a visit for its beautiful architecture, for its old town center, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, local crafts, canals and the tradition of lanterns.
Once known to foreign merchants as Faifo, today Hoi An is a small town by Asian standards, to be visited entirely on foot or by bicycle. It has many foreign, colonial and Japanese influences (famous is the Japanese Bridge that connected the town to the Japanese settlement in Vietnam) because in the past it was an important point of exchange and commerce.
So here are the attractions not to be missed in Hoi An.
Hoi An's main attractions
Japanese Bridge: This bridge is the symbol of Hoi An. It was built by the Japanese for the purpose of dividing the Vietnamese part from the Japanese part of the town.
Quan Cong Temple: This temple was built in the fifteenth century in honor of General Quan Cong, highly esteemed for his loyalty. On the altar inside the temple is his statue.
Hoi Quan Phuc Kien: Pay a visit to the Meeting Room of the Chinese Congregation of Fuji where the Fuji community met. Later this place became a temple in honor of the goddess Thien Hau. It is not the only meeting room to visit: known by locals as Hoi Quan, they were elegant meeting places for Chinese communities where men met to talk about business.
Traditional Hoi An houses: These historic houses, built by wealthy Chinese merchants, make a stay in Hoi An even more interesting. They have enchanting gardens, decorations and carvings. The best known is Tan Ky House, once home to a wealthy Vietnamese merchant.
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