Vietnam - Hoi An

Hoi An is a city on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam Province, is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam that caters to travelers of all tastes and across the continents.

From the 16th to 19th century, Hoi An used to be an international trade center on the East-West commercial itinerary and also the busiest trading port in Dang Trong (the South region ofVietnam). Merchant ships from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and other countries often stopped here to exchange and purchase commodities.

In the progresses of establishment and development, Hoi An was known with many different names as Faifo, Haisfo, Hoai pho, Ketchem and Cotam. Archeological and architectural relics prove that Hoi An was an important meeting place of many cultures, such as Champa, Viet Nam, Japan and China.

Until now, a complex of ancient architecture relics in Hoi An has been preserved mostly intact, such as old houses, assembly halls, temples, pagodas, bridges, churches, ports and markets, with mossy ancient color. According to statistics, the relics in Hoi An are classified into 11 categories, including 1,068 ancient houses, 19 pagodas, 43 temples, 23 communal houses, 38 family worship houses, 5 assembly halls, 11 ancient wells, 1 bridge, 44 ancient tombs and so forth. The existence of Hoi An Ancient Town is the only case in Vietnam and also rare in the world. Hoi An is considered as a living museum of architecture and urban lifestyle.

Besides diverse architectures, Hoi An also keep quite grandiose intangible culture values. Daily life of the locals with customs, religious activities, folk art, festivals, traditional craft villages, specialty dishes…all have been preserved and promoted.

Hoi An also has 7km-coastline that is favorable for tourism development, of which Cua Dai Beach is one of the nicest and cleanest beaches in Vietnam.