A Brief Introduction to Hoi An:
Nestled modestly along the Thu Bon River in Quang Nam province, Hoi An is known worldwide as an ancient town of Vietnam, serving as a major trading center in central Vietnam from the late 16th to the 18th century.
When visiting Hoi An for tourism, you will have the chance to admire ancient houses that are hundreds of years old, beautiful and clear blue beaches at Cua Dai and Cu Lao Cham, or immerse yourself in the comfortable, leisurely, and tranquil life of the locals. On the 15th day of the lunar month, join the locals in releasing flower lanterns on the river; the gentle wind pushes the lanterns along the water, carrying your wishes far away, hoping they come true. In Hoi An, you can also participate in traditional games like "bai choi" (a card game), singing contests, and other ancient folk games that you might not even remember or know about today.
Touring Hoi An, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the traditional cultural space with ancient craft villages such as Kim Bong carpentry village, Thanh Ha pottery village, Phuoc Kieu bronze casting village... along with traditional architectural styles and relics like Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Japanese Covered Bridge, Quan Cong Temple, or Ong Pagoda and the Tran family ancestral house...
When is the best time to visit Hoi An?
In Hoi An, the weather has two distinct seasons: rainy and dry. Each season has its own beauty, so you can choose your favorite season to explore the beauty of this ancient and peaceful city. However, the best times to travel to Hoi An are:
- From February to April: During this time, the weather in Hoi An is quite cool and pleasant, with gentle golden sunshine and little rain.
- May to July: Ideal weather to combine visits to Cua Dai Beach, Cu Lao Cham Island, and the beaches in Da Nang.
- October to December: This is the rainy season in Hoi An, and the rains may interrupt your trip, but it is also the season when the Thu Bon River rises, flooding the ancient town, and locals have to travel by boat. This is also a very interesting experience in Hoi An.
- Additionally, you should visit Hoi An on the 14th day of the lunar month. On this day, the ancient town of Hoi An turns off the electric lights from about 7 pm to 9 pm, replacing them with lanterns, along with festivals like releasing flower lanterns, folk singing... which are very interesting.
Transportation to Hoi An?
Currently, Hoi An does not have an airport or a train station for direct travel by plane or train. Usually, tourists choose Da Nang as a temporary stop to continue their journey to Hoi An. To get to Da Nang, both domestic and international tourists have many options.
Tourists can choose airplanes to save time. If traveling from Saigon or Hanoi, it only takes about 1 hour to reach Da Nang. Da Nang Airport has most of the flights from airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Jetstar, etc. If you want to save costs, tourists can choose to go to Da Nang by train or bus. Although the travel time is a bit long, tourists can enjoy the majestic scenery along the way.
After that, tourists can travel from Da Nang to Hoi An by car, taxi, or bus.
Must-visit places when touring Hoi An?
1. Japanese Covered Bridge:
The Japanese Covered Bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge, was built in the late 16th century and is the most attractive and famous destination in Hoi An. The highlight of this bridge is its arched roof with unique designs, decorated with patterns that reflect a harmonious blend of various architectural styles from Vietnam, Japan, China, and even the West. In the middle of the bridge is a small temple dedicated to Huyen Thien Dai De. During the autumn, the lantern festival and flower lantern festival are held, with twinkling lights from lanterns and flower lanterns illuminating the bridge, making the Japanese Covered Bridge an ideal destination for those who want to explore Quang Nam.
2. Tan Ky Ancient House:
Built in the late 18th century, Tan Ky Ancient House is one of the oldest destinations in Hoi An, nearly 200 years old. Almost the entire ancient house still retains its unique original architecture. This was once the residence of the Le family; the front part was used for trading, while the back was mainly for importing goods. The house was mainly built with wooden columns and roof, while the foundation was laid with high-quality Bat Trang tiles.
With a unique architectural style combining three cultures: Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, the patterns and motifs were carved by artisans from Kim Bong Carpentry Village in the Eastern philosophical style. Tan Ky Ancient House is one of the ancient houses honored as a national cultural heritage and is the only place in Hoi An that welcomes both domestic and foreign dignitaries.
3. Trieu Chau Assembly Hall:
Trieu Chau Assembly Hall, also known as Ong Bon Pagoda, is one of the ancient tourist attractions in Hoi An with a distinctive architectural style. Trieu Chau Assembly Hall impresses visitors with its very delicate carvings and sharp patterns on solid wooden structures. In addition, the art of embossing patterns with porcelain was also applied to build this structure to enhance its beauty and create artistic value for the project.
4. Quang Dong Assembly Hall:
Quang Dong Assembly Hall (also known as Quang Trieu Assembly Hall) was started in 1885. The assembly hall has a harmonious architecture due to the skillful combination of stone and wood in the load-bearing structure along with delicate, elaborate, and exquisite decorative patterns, giving the building a majestic and splendid appearance.
5. Phuc Kien Assembly Hall:
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall is a tourist attraction in Hoi An and was started in 1679. After many restorations, with contributions from the overseas Chinese community, today, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall has become more spacious and splendid, contributing to the architectural beauty of the ancient town of Hoi An. Here, you can admire up close the exquisitely carved architectural works in a unique Chinese architectural space.
6. Cua Dai Beach:
Cua Dai is an attractive beach that draws many tourists in Hoi An with its jade-green water next to the smooth white sand stretching along the beach. You can not only immerse yourself in the cool water and refreshing space but also enjoy fresh seafood dishes at Cua Dai Beach.
7. Cu Lao Cham:
Cu Lao Cham is a name not too unfamiliar as the most famous tourist destination in Hoi An. Cu Lao Cham wins people's hearts with its intact, peaceful, and fresh beauty. It only takes less than 20 minutes to set foot on Cu Lao Island and admire the entire wonderful green space. Currently, Cu Lao offers a very interesting coral diving service; you can dive deep under the sea to admire the shimmering, colorful coral reefs, as well as watch schools of fish swimming in the cool water. This famous tourist destination in Hoi An also gives you interesting experiences when cycling along Cu Lao, leisurely and peacefully enjoying the fresh air of the green island.
8. Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An:
Vinpearl Land Hoi An is the leading entertainment area in Hoi An today with a complex of many types of services such as outdoor play area, indoor play area, water play area, river safari, folk island, resort area, and restaurant area.
9. Thanh Ha Pottery Village:
Lying next to the peaceful Thu Bon River, Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An, with over 500 years of formation and development, has made a name for itself in the region. Hoi An is beautiful and attracts tourists not only with its quiet ancient streets but also with its traditional craft villages. With the skillful hands and passionate hearts of the dedicated artisans here, they are tirelessly breathing life into the clay day and night. Thanh Ha pottery is beautiful because of the soul of the people and the land here, waiting for you to explore and experience.
10. Kim Bong Carpentry Village:
Kim Bong Carpentry Village is located on the right bank of the lower Thu Bon River flowing through Hoi An before emptying into the sea, in Cam Kim commune – Hoi An – Quang Nam. This is one of the famous craft villages in Hoi An, marking many artistic works and unique cultural values that remain to this day, attracting domestic and international tourists to visit.
What to eat when touring Hoi An?
1. Hoi An Chicken Rice:
The rice for cooking chicken rice is a delicious, fragrant, and sticky type, carefully selected, seasoned, and then cooked with chicken broth and pandan leaves using a wood stove. The chicken used is free-range, tender but not mushy, firm but not tough, with thin and fragrant skin. After boiling, the chicken meat is shredded and then mixed with onions, fried shallots, salt, pepper, and Vietnamese coriander. Finally, the rice is plated, topped with the shredded chicken, and eaten with onions, pickled papaya, Tra Que herbs, soy sauce, and chili sauce. In addition, there is a bowl of mixed soup with chicken heart, liver, and kidney to accompany. With all their skillful and meticulous preparation, the people of Hoi An have created a very unique chicken rice dish, distinctive enough to be given its own name: Hoi An Chicken Rice.
2. Cao Lau:
Coming to Hoi An without immediately enjoying a bowl of Hoi An Cao Lau would be a great pity. Looking at the bowl of Cao Lau, you will see that it doesn't resemble bun (rice vermicelli) or pho, it looks like noodles but isn't noodles either.
The Cao Lau noodles are chewy and slightly yellow, this dish does not use broth but uses the sauce from the char siu pork to pour over. Eaten with Cao Lau is the char siu pork marinated with five-spice powder, crispy fried pork skin, blanched bean sprouts, and various herbs.
3. Phuong's Bread in Hoi An:
Phuong's Bread is famous in the ancient town of Hoi An and is loved by many tourists. Not only Koreans but also Westerners who have tasted this bread find it hard to forget. Phuong's Bread in Hoi An is renowned for its dozens of different fillings such as Vietnamese sausage, cold cuts, grilled meat, pate served with butter or non-greasy cheese. This diverse bread satisfies everyone, even the most discerning diners can find a flavor they like.
4. Quang Noodles:
Quang noodles are made very delicately. First, you have to choose good rice and grind it into rice flour until it is smooth. Then it is spread into thin sheets about 2mm thick, finally cut into noodles, the noodles are chewy and do not become mushy. The broth poured into the bowl of Quang noodles has a sweetness from pork bones, the meat usually eaten with it is frog meat, chicken, boiled eggs... Accompanied with the noodles are fresh vegetables and rice crackers.
5. Vac Cake, Bao Cake:
This is a familiar snack in Hoi An for the locals. The clams are cleaned thoroughly. Then stir-fried with onions, chili, fried shallots, peanuts, and Vietnamese coriander. To reduce the fishy smell, roasted peanuts are added for a nutty flavor. Then break a piece of crispy rice cracker to scoop up the clams and put it in your mouth to enjoy. Therefore, this is one of the delicious cakes in Hoi An known to many people.
6. Various types of Hoi An sweet soups:
Hoi An is a paradise of sweet soups such as: Corn sweet soup, Thung sweet soup, Lotus seed sweet soup, Green bean sweet soup, Broad bean sweet soup, etc.
