Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town is considered a top cultural city destination in Asia, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. This introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town takes visitors on a journey to discover charming little corners, ancient houses, vibrant bougainvillea vines, and more. Let's explore this World Heritage site further with daivietourist.vn.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town, an interesting destination on a Quang Nam travel itinerary.

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A brief introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

When mentioning tourist destinations in Hoi An, people immediately think of the ancient town with its nostalgic cultural and architectural values. Stepping foot here, you will feel the peaceful, romantic yet simple and intimate atmosphere. 

Where is Hoi An Old Town located? 

Which province is Hoi An Ancient Town located in? Hoi An Ancient Town is a cultural heritage site located in the lower reaches of the Thu Bon River, in Quang Nam province. It is situated approximately 30 kilometers southwest of Da Nang city center. 

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Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town is located downstream of the Thu Bon River.

The ancient town is bordered to the east by the East Sea, to the west by Dien Ban district, and to the south by Duy Xuyen district. According to many ancient Western documents, Hoi An was also known by another name, Faifo.

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When was Hoi An Old Town built?

Hoi An Ancient Town was built around the beginning of the 16th century. It was once a very bustling international trading port, a place where merchants from Japan, China, and Western countries exchanged goods.

In 1527, when Mạc Đăng Dung seized the throne from the Lê dynasty, it marked the beginning of the Mạc dynasty's rule in Đông Kinh (Hanoi). By 1570, King Nguyễn Hoàng and his son Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên controlled Quảng Nam, transforming Hội An into a leading trading port in Southeast Asia.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Old Town was built around the beginning of the 16th century.

This introduction describes the ancient town of Hoi An, which, despite numerous historical events, has retained its vibrancy in the Chinese and Japanese quarters. After the Trinh lords seized control of Quang Nam, Hoi An revived after five years, but commercial activity was no longer as bustling as before.

When the Nguyen dynasty established a policy of isolation from the outside world, the Old Quarter lost its role as a center of trade and was not mentioned much. However, in 1999, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and became an attractive destination for both domestic and international tourists. 

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The names of Hoi An Old Town

When introducing the history of Hoi An Ancient Town, it's impossible to overlook the different names this place has had. According to Hoi An travel experiences , the ancient town was formerly called Hoai Pho because it was located on the Hoai River.

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Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

In the past, Hoi An ancient town was called Hoai Pho because it was located on the Hoai River.

In the 16th century, the name Hoai Pho was changed to Faifo by Portuguese merchants who came to trade there. This name was used until the French colonial period.

From the 17th century onwards, the name "Hoi An" appeared and gradually replaced the name of the port town of Faifo, which remains to this day.

See also: Hoi An Tours

An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its outstanding features.

To briefly introduce Hoi An Ancient Town , it has become a popular check-in spot for many tourists. So what makes this ancient town so attractive to visitors?

Traditional, harmonious architecture

Despite enduring many historical upheavals, the ancient town of Hoi An today still retains its old-world charm, serene and moss-covered. From the trees and tiled roofs to the bricks, everything exudes a simple and rustic feel.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Old Town has a distinctive and harmonious architectural style.

Upon arriving here, you will be able to admire the impressive yet familiar and welcoming architecture. 

Many typical historical sites

Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town, with a history spanning over 400 years and remaining remarkably well-preserved to this day, boasting more than 1000 ancient relics and architectural structures. These include houses, temples, streets, pagodas, ancient wells, and more.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

This place has many notable historical sites that attract tourists.

Among them, the most prominent are the Japanese Bridge, Tan Ky Old House, and Quan Thang Old House… Each historical site leaves a deep impression on visitors and is an invaluable asset of Hoi An.

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Rich culinary traditions

When introducing Hoi An Ancient Town , one cannot overlook its cuisine. Besides the moss-covered roofs and the beautifully winding, grid-like streets, there are countless delicious dishes to enjoy.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

The culinary scene in the Old Quarter is rich with delicious dishes.

Take a stroll around and listen to introductions about the cuisine of Hoi An Old Town , and you'll discover the essence and rich flavors of this beloved land. 

If you have the chance, try chicken rice, cao lầu noodles, Quang noodles, banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich), stir-fried clams with rice crackers, banh vac (rice cake), mot tea, sweet soups… Whether it's a main course or a snack, they're all delicious and reasonably priced. 

A diverse range of unique traditional festivals

When explaining about Hoi An Ancient Town to tour guides , it's explained that the town was once a bustling trading port, a melting pot of different cultures. Therefore, Hoi An Ancient Town also boasts a rich variety of festivals, beliefs, and customs.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

The Old Quarter has many unique and fascinating traditional festivals.

Besides the local customs, Hoi An Ancient Town also features other traditions such as the worship of stones and the worship of the Fisherman God. On the 15th and 1st days of the lunar month, there is also a lantern festival.

When visiting Hoi An, tourists can experience many activities such as folk singing, traditional theater performances, and rice pounding songs…

Numerous prestigious titles, reaching world-class status.

Besides being recognized as a "World Cultural Heritage Site," the ancient town has also received many valuable international accolades. Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town , these titles have brought it to the world stage, bringing the ancient town closer to friends from all over the globe. 

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town

This place has also received many world-class accolades.

Specifically:

  • Top most popular destinations in Asia.
  • Top 10 most romantic cities in the world
  • Ranked #1 among the top 15 most amazing cities by Travel & Leisure.
  • Memories of Hoi An has been recognized as the most beautiful live performance show in the world. 

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An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town – typical architectural features throughout history.

The image of Hoi An ancient town captivates tourists with its charming houses, tiled roofs, and ancient streets. Below, daivietourist.vn will provide a detailed introduction to Hoi An ancient town 's design and architecture for your reference. 

Old townhouse architecture

In videos showcasing Hoi An Old Town , you'll always see houses with moss-covered tiled roofs and characteristic gleaming yellow walls. The most common type of house in Hoi An is the one- or two-story townhouse, narrow in width and long in depth. 

Introducing the unique architecture of Hoi An Ancient Town.

The old townhouses stand out with their striking yellow paint.

These houses have a timber frame structure, with brick walls separating the sides, and are made from materials that are strong and durable. The house's footprint is typically 4-8 meters long and 10-40 meters deep. 

The house's floor plan includes: sidewalk, front porch, main house, outbuilding, back porch, inner courtyard, connecting house, rear house, and back garden.

Old tiled roof

Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam province : In terms of architecture, it features tiled roofs. The old houses are often built with a double roof design, with separate roofs for the main house and the outbuilding.

Introducing the unique architecture of Hoi An Ancient Town.

The moss-covered tiled roof stands silently through time.

The houses along the bridge are roofed in a four-pitched style. Overall, the front house, the back house, and the bridge house are roofed with separate tile roofs.

The roof tiles are also made of fired clay, square in shape, with each side measuring 22cm and slightly curved. When laying the tiles, one row is placed face up, followed by a row of tiles face down. 

Hoi An streets

The streets in the old town are laid out in a grid pattern. The streets are short, beautiful, winding, and embrace the houses. 

Introducing the unique architecture of Hoi An Ancient Town.

Beautifully winding roads

Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town : Strolling through its charming little streets, you'll get to enjoy delicious food and experience the simple, genuine life of the local people. 

An introductory guide to Hoi An Old Town and its must-see attractions.

Hoi An Ancient Town currently boasts over 100 ancient relics for visitors to explore and admire. During this exploration, the Hoi An tour will take you to some of the following typical locations:

Bridge Pagoda 

Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town , the first destination that daivietourist.vn wants to introduce is the Japanese Bridge (Chua Cau). This structure stands out with its wooden columns, gracefully curved arches, and elaborate red lacquer and carvings. 

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its historical sites.

Japanese Bridge – a famous check-in spot in the Old Quarter.

The Japanese Bridge (Chùa Cầu) spans a small stream and was built by the Japanese. At night, when the bridge is illuminated, the scene becomes dazzling and magical. 

Tan Ky Old House

This is an ancient house, dating back 200 years, located at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. According to information about Hoi An Ancient Town , Tan Ky Ancient House was formerly the residence of the noble Le family.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its historical sites.

Tan Ky Ancient House, with a history of over 200 years.

To this day, this old house still retains its original architecture and displays many valuable artifacts inside for visitors to admire. 

Fujian Assembly Hall

The Fujian Assembly Hall is a place of worship dedicated to the Goddess Tian Hou. It is also where Chinese merchants pray for favorable weather before setting sail.

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its historical sites.

Fujian Assembly Hall, a place of worship for the Goddess Thien Hau.

The article introduces Hoi An Old Town and the Fujian Assembly Hall, which to this day retains its original architecture. It has become a popular spot for young people to take photos for social media. 

Chaozhou Assembly Hall

Introducing the heritage of Hoi An ancient town , the Trieu Chau Assembly Hall or Ong Bon Pagoda are also beautiful check-in spots. This place was built by the Chinese community in the mid-19th century as a place of worship for General Ma Vien. 

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its historical sites.

The Chaozhou Assembly Hall, a site built by the Chinese community.

Besides the two assembly halls mentioned above, Hoi An Ancient Town also features many other assembly halls such as: the Chinese Assembly Hall, the Cantonese Assembly Hall, the Quynh Phu Assembly Hall, etc. 

  • Address: 157 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, Hoi An City

Hoi An Museum of History and Culture

The Hoi An Museum of History and Culture is a place that preserves and witnesses the development of the ancient town from its early days to the present. The museum has an antique design with 3 floors on an area of ​​800m2. 

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its historical sites.

Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town – Hoi An Museum, a place that preserves the historical flow of Hoi An.

Visiting the museum will allow you to immerse yourself in the flow of history and experience Hoi An in its most complete form. 

  • Address: 10 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoi An City

Hoi An Market

Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town would be incomplete without mentioning the vibrant and bustling Hoi An Market. This is a unique highlight of the ancient town that attracts a large number of tourists.

Hoi An Market has been voted one of the most attractive culinary paradises for tourists and locals alike. Here, you will experience a diverse range of flavors and colors in the unique dishes of Hoi An. 

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its historical sites.

Hoi An Market, a culinary paradise and a super hot check-in spot.

  • Address: In the heart of the Old Quarter, at the intersection of Tran Phu, Bach Dang, and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets.

Besides the historical sites mentioned above, Hoi An ancient town also impresses with many other attractive tourist destinations such as: Quan Thang ancient house, Tran clan church, Sa Huynh cultural museum…

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Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town: What fascinating experiences can you have there?

A general introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town : Besides its unique architecture and historical relics, you can also experience many interesting things here, such as: 

Explore the lantern street. 

Hoi An city in Quang Nam province is captivating to tourists at any time of year. During the day, stroll along the narrow streets, admiring the winding avenues and moss-covered ancient houses. 

An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its interesting experiences.

Hoi An's lantern-lit streets sparkle at night.

At night, Hoi An Ancient Town takes on a magical, shimmering beauty from the lanterns. This sparkling light immerses the ancient town in romance and tranquility, soothing the souls of all visitors.

Participate in folk games.

After strolling through the lantern-lit streets, you can stop by Nguyen Thai Hoc Street or Kazil Park. Here, you'll find extremely attractive traditional games.

An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its interesting experiences.

Participate in a captivating Bài Chòi folk singing performance.

Introducing Hoi An Old Town suggests you try games like blindfolded pot smashing, ring toss, walking on a bridge made of carts, and especially Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game). If you participate, you might even have a chance to win many meaningful small gifts. 

Check in and admire the beauty of Hoi An town.

A brief introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town: It's not just a place for fun and food; it's also an ideal destination for tourists to capture beautiful moments. You can take photos with the ancient houses and the bougainvillea vines swaying in the breeze.

An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its interesting experiences.

The Old Quarter has many beautiful spots for you to take Instagram-worthy photos.

The Mót cafe, the Japanese Bridge, the assembly hall, or the golden alley opposite Faifo cafe… These are some of the spots that Hoi An's Old Town guides suggest you should "take photos" at least once when you visit.

Take a boat ride and release floating lanterns on the river.

When introducing some aspects of Hoi An ancient town, one cannot overlook the experience of taking a boat trip on the Hoai River. Instead of walking, you sit on a boat and admire the scenery on both sides of the river.

An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and its interesting experiences.

Experience releasing floating lanterns on the Hoai River.

This is also an opportunity to release floating lanterns, a feature that Hoi An Ancient Town wants to highlight. With these simple, handcrafted lanterns, you just need to light them up and let them float down the river, praying for peace and good fortune for everyone. 

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What to eat when traveling to Hoi An? Introducing the delicious specialties of Hoi An ancient town.

When giving a brief introduction to Hoi An Old Town, don't forget to mention its cuisine. It's famous for its many traditional dishes and delicious snacks.

When visiting the Old Quarter, a simple stroll will easily reveal countless delicious dishes at any eatery or street vendor. 

Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and What to Eat

Hoi An chicken rice, a famous dish you should try at least once.

This introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam Province today will suggest some delicious dishes worth trying, such as:

  • Hoi An Cao Lau – Thanh restaurant at 26 Thai Phien Street or Lien restaurant at 21b Thai Phien Street.
  • Hoi An Quang noodles – at Mr. Hai Hoi's restaurant, at Ms. Hat's restaurant.
  • Hoi An corn sweet soup – sold on the sidewalks of Le Loi Street and Tran Phu Street.
  • Hoi An-style banh beo (steamed rice cakes) – at Mrs. Bay's restaurant, or at 17 Dinh Tien Hoang Street.
  • Hoi An-style banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake) – at Gieng Ba Le restaurant and Hai Dao restaurant.
  • Hoi An chicken rice – at Mrs. Buoi's restaurant, Mrs. Huong's restaurant.
  • Clam stir-fry with rice crackers – at Bà Già restaurant, Cẩm Nam restaurant.

Once you have plenty of information about Hoi An Ancient Town, you should also consider a Da Nang tour  with other attractions. Currently, Dai Viet Tourist is offering the hottest tour packages at incredibly affordable prices for you to check out.

CHECK OUT OUR PROMOTIONAL DA NANG TOURS NOW!

To book a Da Nang tour, you can call 0982.744.644 or add us on ZALO for free consultation and the best prices in Da Nang.

 

An introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town and essential experiences to know.

Introducing the ancient town of Quang Nam province, which attracts a large number of tourists every year. To have a complete and enjoyable visit to the ancient town, please note the following:

  • Some tourist attractions in Hoi An Old Town charge an entrance fee, so you should contact your tour guide to purchase tickets.
  • Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town : We recommend visiting between February and August. The weather during this period is pleasant and ideal for experiencing the town.
What to keep in mind when visiting Hoi An Ancient Town?

It's advisable to check the weather and choose the right time to visit the Old Town.

  • During the day, you should choose to visit Hoi An in the evening because the old town is beautifully illuminated and there are many activities to explore.
  • If you plan to stay overnight in the Old Quarter, book your hotel in advance to secure a suitable place at a good price and avoid the worry of rooms being fully booked.

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Introducing Hoi An Ancient Town , a tourist destination with its own unique beauty in every house and street corner. Stepping foot here, tourists will feel the friendliness in the food and the lifestyle of the locals. Hopefully, through this article, you will understand more and have many more interesting experiences when you visit. 

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