Contents
A/ Highlights:
1/ Hoi An ancient town - A world cultural heritage site
History of Hoi An
Hoi An architecture
Famous old houses
Chinese assembly hall, communal house, temple
Japanese covered bridge
History of Hoi An
Hoi An architecture
Famous old houses
Chinese assembly hall, communal house, temple
Japanese covered bridge
The museum of trading ceramics
Ba Le ancient well
Ba Le ancient well
2/ One day walking in Hoi An ancient town
3/ Hoi An festivals
4/ My Son sanctuary - UNESCO heritage site
5/ Cu Lao Cham paradise islands - World biosphere reserve
6/ An Bang beach - world's 50 best beaches
7/ Cua Dai beach
8//Thanh Ha pottery village
9//Tra Que vegetable village
10/ Learn to be a farmer / ride water buffalo
11/ The most photographed wall in Hoi An ancient town
10/ Learn to be a farmer / ride water buffalo
11/ The most photographed wall in Hoi An ancient town
B/ Where to stay in Hoi An
C/ Food and drink
D/ Shopping
E/ Getting there
E/ Getting there
F/ Best time to visit
G/ Hoi An from newspaper
H/ Hoi An video
Essential Vietnamese Phrases - 实用中文- 给旅行者的越南会话 I/ Rehahn gallery
A/ Highlights
1/ Hoi An ancient town - A world cultural heritage site
Archaeological study in Hoi An in the 1990s proved that more than 2000 years ago Hoi An was an embryonic port town of the Sa Huynh people. With the finds excavated in the cemetery and habitation sites of Sa Huynh people, we can know that they had a process of cultural and economic exchange with other peoples, especially the Chinese in the Han dynasty. From the 2nd to the 15th centuries, Hoi An was the land of the Champa Kingdom. In these centuries, Hoi An became a prosperous commercial port town, very well developed and famous in Asia. Merchant boats from Arabian countries and China came to Hoi An to trade. Ancient documents said that for a long time, the port town of Lam Ap (present Hoi An) played the most important role in creating and bringing prospered to Tra Kieu and My Son (the capital and complex of temples and towers of the Champa Kingdom). Moreover, relics of the Cham civilization in Hoi An also show that there has had a Cham port with a maritime trade that prosper brilliantly.
Located in the meeting place of the major sources of water in Quang Nam and due to the favorable internal and external elements, Hoi An rapidly developed in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Hoi An port town and the “Silk road” and “Ceramic road” on the seas attracted lots of merchant boats form China, Japan, India, Thailand, Portugal, Holland, Britain, France... They were so many that “they all made quite a forest of masts on the river” (Thich Dai San wrote in his Overseas Diary) and commodities were so plentiful that “merchants could find whatever they wanted” and that “even hundreds of big sailing vessels (8.1 m wide and 45-60m long each) could not carry all of them away at the same time” (Le Quy Don wrote in Phu Bien Tap Luc). And the town's warehouses were full of silk, fabrics, porcelain, tea, pepper, beeswax, elephant tusks, paper... Hoi An in this time therefore, was the international port town of trades that was most developed in the country and Southeast Asia as well as the major economic base in Southern Viet Nam of the Nguyen Lords and Kings.
Among the foreign traders, Chinese and Japanese especially left their mark on Hoi An. Chinese had cultural and economic exchange with Hoi An since 2000 years ago. The Chinese merchant boats often bought silk, aloe wood, cinnamon, pepper... or got more food and water on the way to other countries. But before XVII century, the Chinese just stopped in Hoi An for trading only. Since the middle of XVII century when the Qing dynasty took over Ming dynasty, there was a great immigration of Chinese (Cantonese, Chaozhou, Fujian...) into Southeast Asia. Many of them had a settlement in Hoi An and they built many houses, temples, assembly halls here as well as some got married with Vietnamese... The present most famous Chinese temples and assembly halls in Hoi An are: Assembly hall of Fujian congregation, Assembly hall of Cantonese congregation, Assembly hall of Chaozhou congregation and Quan Cong temple.
The Japanese came to stay here in the beginning of XVII century. Some got married with Vietnamese ladies. But after 1637 when the Japanese emperor forbade contact with the outside world, they had to come back to Japan. According to some researchers, the Japanese did build many houses along present Tran Phu street. And according to Chihara Daigoro, the Japanese houses in Hoi An at that time had the same architecture with Nagasaki ones. At presnet the only remarkable Japanese architecutre in Hoi An is Japanese covered bridge (Chua Cau)
By the end of the 19th century, because of unfavorable conditions, especially the natural condition when Thu Bon river which links Hoi An town to the East sea, silted up and became too shallow for navigation, the “sailing vessels port town of Hoi An ”gradually declined and gave its historic role in the hands of the “young industrial port city of Da Nang”.
Among the foreign traders, Chinese and Japanese especially left their mark on Hoi An. Chinese had cultural and economic exchange with Hoi An since 2000 years ago. The Chinese merchant boats often bought silk, aloe wood, cinnamon, pepper... or got more food and water on the way to other countries. But before XVII century, the Chinese just stopped in Hoi An for trading only. Since the middle of XVII century when the Qing dynasty took over Ming dynasty, there was a great immigration of Chinese (Cantonese, Chaozhou, Fujian...) into Southeast Asia. Many of them had a settlement in Hoi An and they built many houses, temples, assembly halls here as well as some got married with Vietnamese... The present most famous Chinese temples and assembly halls in Hoi An are: Assembly hall of Fujian congregation, Assembly hall of Cantonese congregation, Assembly hall of Chaozhou congregation and Quan Cong temple.
The Japanese came to stay here in the beginning of XVII century. Some got married with Vietnamese ladies. But after 1637 when the Japanese emperor forbade contact with the outside world, they had to come back to Japan. According to some researchers, the Japanese did build many houses along present Tran Phu street. And according to Chihara Daigoro, the Japanese houses in Hoi An at that time had the same architecture with Nagasaki ones. At presnet the only remarkable Japanese architecutre in Hoi An is Japanese covered bridge (Chua Cau)
By the end of the 19th century, because of unfavorable conditions, especially the natural condition when Thu Bon river which links Hoi An town to the East sea, silted up and became too shallow for navigation, the “sailing vessels port town of Hoi An ”gradually declined and gave its historic role in the hands of the “young industrial port city of Da Nang”.
(Source: Hoi An Center for Culture & Sports and other sources)
Hoi An architecture
The architecture of Hoi An, which is almost entirely of wood, is of considerable interest. It combines traditional Vietnamese designs and techniques with those from other countries, above all China and Japan, whose citizens settled there to trade and built houses and community centres to their own designs. The most important are old houses which are the basic elements of Hoi An ancient town.
There are two kinds of typical houses: townhouse (Nha pho) and garden house (Nha ruong)
1/ Townhouse: house to house; each house is 5 - 6m wide and 30 - 40m long; most houses are located on Tran Phu, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Bach Dang streets. The house has maximum 2 floors and is usually divided into three main parts: * The front of the house is used for trading. You will also find the altars worshipping the house's ancestors and gods. The door at the front of the house has two wooden octagonal "eyes" * The middle of the house is often used for living. At this part there is a small courtyard with several functions: to let in light, provide ventilation, bring a glimpse of nature into the home, collect rain water and provide drainage. In some courtyards, there are also some tall trees and flowers * The back of the house is with kitchen and bathroom. In some houses this part of the house has the door open to the outside which is some steps to the Hoai river.
Due to the flooding season which usually takes place in Septmber to November, the second floor of the house is used for storing occasionally.
Among the old houses in Hoi An, the famous ones that are chosen for visiting are Duc An house, Tan Ky house, Quan Thang house, Phung Hung house.(Among them, Duc An house is the one I love most)
2/ Garden houses are located in the areas near ancient town (in the Cam Nam, Cam Chau, Cam Ha districts...). In front of the house there is big yard, and around the house there is leafy garden
1/ Tan Ky house
Address: 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc street
Admission: Hoi An ancient town ticket
Open: 8:00AM -12:00noon; 13:30PM - 17:30PM
History: about 200 years
National heritage site: 17 Feb 1990
Famous visitors: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, President Jiang Zemin (China), Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (Thailand)...
The best: In comparison with other old houses, Tan Ky has the beautiful Chinese characters written in inlaid mother-of-pearl on a pair of wood panels. Each stroke of writing is a image of a bird flying in various positions. One hundred birds in total represent honourable men and perfection
Architecture style and design : The old house reflects the Chinese and Japanese influences on architecture and design of the house.
The Japanese elements are seen clearly on three progressively shorter beams, one on top of the other
The Chinese influences are reflected on Chinese characters written on many wooden columns...
The outside structure of the house is made of bricks and tiles, while the inside is made of jack-fruit trees, ironwood which are very hard and durable. The floor is covered with stone slates and Bat Trang bricks, which came from northern areas of Viet Nam.
Function: * The front of the house was used for trading * The middle of the house has a courtyard with several functions: to let in light, provide ventilation, bring a glimpse of nature into the home, collect rain water and provide drainage *The back of the house faces the Hoai river which was the best waterway to transport goods. There are two pulleys attached to a beam in the loft that in the past they were used for moving goods into storage and today for raising valued household goods for safekeeping from floods which often hit the town from September to November
Souvernir shop?: Forget the old house's staffs who try to sell overpriced souvenirs to you, surely you will have a great visit in this beautiful charming old house where you will walk back to a century ago
Tan Ky from Viet Nam News
As you look at the thousands of name cards and keepsakes that visitors have left in Tan Ky House in the ancient city of Hoi An, you won't have to ask how much interest there is in a house that has been recognised by the Government as a historical and cultural monument since the 1980s.
Others may have their own reasons for loving the house, but for me, as I let the lady of the house guide me around, I feel like spending hours here just to contemplate truly old Oriental architecture, learn about the history that is integrated with every detail of the house, and meditate on life's ancient philosophies.
The house, located at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, was built more than two centuries ago. The same family has lived in the home for seven generations. The name Tan Ky, meaning "Progress Shop", was given to the house by the second generation to express the owner's wish for a prosperous business.
"Tan Ky still offers evidence of an era when trade with foreigners flourished in this major commercial port city from the 18th until the first half of the 19th century, a time when wealthy merchants built imposing houses like this," said Huynh Thi Tan Xuan, the house's mistress.
At that time, the Tan Ky family traded in agricultural products. Their customers included local and foreign merchants from Southeast Asia and Europe.
Boats sailed up the Thu Bon River to reach the house. Goods ready for sale were kept on the ground floor, while products to be sold later were moved to the upper storage floors by a pulley system.
The storage area is just one of the many details of the house that has remained unchanged to this day. However, by the beginning of last century, Hoi An was no longer among the most important business centres of the region as a result of continuous floods that silted up the river and prevented big ships from entering the port.
"Generation after generation, the Tan Ky family has made untiring attempts to keep the house in good condition, despite time and the devastation of floods," said Xuan.
She said the architecture is the most special thing about the house because it features elements of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese cultures from a time when the three communities lived together in Hoi An during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The outside structure of the house is made of bricks and tiles, while the inside is made of jack-fruit trees, ironwood which are very hard and durable. The floor is covered with stone slates and Bat Trang bricks, which came from northern areas of Viet Nam.
The house is joined together with wooden pegs and rests on marble bases. Thanks to thick roofs and wooden walls, the house is cool in summer and warm in winter.
The triple-beam structure consists of three beams, which represent heaven, earth and humans, and five round blocks, which represent metal, wood, water, fire and earth – the five basic natural elements in Eastern philosophy. The entire structure is a symbol of heaven and earth in harmony.
The ceiling curves like a crab shell, hence it is called a crab-shelled ceiling.
The edge of the roof is decorated with four half-dragon fish, a symbol of people who succeed through hard work.
"All of the carvings here are expressions of our ancestors' wishes for something," said Xuan.
"Peaches symbolise the hope for longevity, bats for happiness (in the Han Chinese language the words for bats and happiness have the same sound), rolls of poetry for knowledge, wine gourds for pleasure, and pumpkins with many seeds for plentiful descendants."
"The furniture and art in the house, much of which are original, are also typical of a bygone era," she said.
One of the famous pieces is a pair of wood panels, which are inscribed with parallel sentences. Each stroke of writing is an image of a bird. One hundred birds in total represent honourable men and perfection, she said.
"Another unique piece has an interesting story behind it," Xuan said, pointing at what she called the "Cup of Confucius". A legend says that when ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius nearly died of hunger and thirst on a journey through the desert, he met an old man who led him to a pond and gave him a cup to scoop water. He scooped up a full cup but when he brought it to his mouth, there was no water. Surprised, he found that the cup had a small hole at the bottom which water fell through when the cup was full. He finally understood that he could not drink the water unless he only partially filled the cup.
"Another unique piece has an interesting story behind it," Xuan said, pointing at what she called the "Cup of Confucius". A legend says that when ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius nearly died of hunger and thirst on a journey through the desert, he met an old man who led him to a pond and gave him a cup to scoop water. He scooped up a full cup but when he brought it to his mouth, there was no water. Surprised, he found that the cup had a small hole at the bottom which water fell through when the cup was full. He finally understood that he could not drink the water unless he only partially filled the cup.
Confucius then theorised that human beings needed to control their behaviours and keep their minds level, not in extremes, and live as gentleman with human love, faith, righteousness, wisdom and loyalty. Later on, the legendary cup that saved Confucius was named the Cup of Confucius and his followers produced similar cups in order to practise and propagate his doctrine.
The Cup of Confucius in Tan Ky house maintains its original strangeness because if someone attempts to fill it more than 80 per cent, all the water falls out, said Xuan.
Xuan said Tan Ky, recognised as one of the best preserved and most beautiful old houses in Hoi An today, has the honour of receiving thousands of visitors every year. Many national and international leaders who have visited the house have left their autographs behind.
"Preserving all of these values has become an age-old tradition in our family," she said. "My husband lives and works in Da Nang, but I stay here to look after this property and conserve our traditions."
I stood at the front door
Two eyes of front door
Altar worships god
The middle of the house with courtyard
Excellent on wood carving
A panel with each stroke of writing is a image of a bird flying in various positions
I stood at the front door
The middle of the house with courtyard
Excellent on wood carving
Japanese architecture influences
The back of the house with pulley to lift up goods in flood season
The back of the house with door facing Hoai river
Flood record: most happened in November
Pics: vietnamguidebook
2/ Quan Thang old house
Address: 77 Tran Phu street
Admission: Hoi An ancient town ticket
History: more than 150 years
Architecture style and design: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese
Quan Thang is currently seen as one of the nicest ancient houses in Hoi An. It carries the Chinese architecture style. Throughout the years, the style as well as interior decoration of the house has been lovingly preserved. That helps us at least partly imagine the lifestyle of its generations of owners, who belonged to the merchant class in Hoi An in the past.
This private house was originally owned by a prosperous Captain called Quan Thang. The lively and fine architecture and sculptures were made by craftsmen of Kim Bong carpentry village. The inside is decorated tastefully and the arrangement of the furniture has been kept intact. The walls surrounding the yard are ornate with beautiful blue ceramics shards. The house is very impressive, with artistic work everywhere: on the beams, the auxiliary arched roof, the wattles, shutters, balusters and even on the rafter finials - all are masterpieces of decoration in the oriental style.
The inside is decorated tastefully. The arrangement of the furniture has been kept in tact. The walls surrounding the yard are ornate with beautiful blue ceramics shards. The house is very impressing with artistic work everywhere: on the beams, the auxiliary arched roof, the wattles, shutters, balusters and even the rafter finials - all are masterpieces of decoration in the oriental style.
It is a stunning piece of oriental architecture in all its glory. The Quan Thang family has maintained the house diligently and the results are obvious. Walking through its fine verandahs, observing its arched roof and intricate details, one is certainly transported to a bygone era.
This 18th century house is sure to evoke a sense of awe and admiration in anyone who appreciates beauty and harmony.
Pics: vietnamguidebook
3/ Phung Hung old house
Address: 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street. Just a few steps down from Japanese bridge
Admission: Hoi An ancient town ticket
History: From middle of 19th century
This shop-house was built by a Vietnamese merchant. It has a tube-like shape, one of the traditional and symbolic urban architectural styles of ancient Hoi An. Its structure is rather unique with the tall wooden second floor surrounded by large comdors. Rafters in the house are refinedly carved in good luck topics that reflect the wishes of prosperity, safety, good trades
This shop-house was built by a Vietnamese merchant. It has a tube-like shape, one of the traditional and symbolic urban architectural styles of ancient Hoi An. Its structure is rather unique with the tall wooden second floor surrounded by large comdors. Rafters in the house are refinedly carved in good luck topics that reflect the wishes of prosperity, safety, good trades
Here you can see a unique blending of two different architectural styles. The different floors are designed in two different styles. The Japanese style of four-sided roof can be perceived in the ground floor. On the other hand you will see a round shaped roof that reflects a turtle shell in the upper floor. This is a Chinese design. Since eight generations, people are living in this house.
The front house
The doors on the second floor which are movable
Altar worship God
Pulley is used to lift up goods to second floor in flood season
Pics: vietnamguidebook
Address: 129 Tran Phu street
Admission: Hoi An ancient town ticket
History: The old house belongs to Phan family and has a history of more than 180 years old with 8 generations have been living here
My pick: One of the most beautiful old houses in Hoi An. While many other old houses see a lot of visitors everyday, Duc An is still a hidden gem. There is absolutely no souvenirs on sale here. If you really want to enjoy the beauty of an old house in quiet enviroment, then Duc An should be the first choice! In comparison with other old houses, the middle of Duc An house has a more beautiful courtyard thanks to its many old trees and bonsai.
Size: It once was 70m long x 7m wide with the front of the house used for trading and the back of the house was just some steps to Hoai river. The present house is shorter with just 40m long x 7m wide
Tran ancestor worship house
Chinese assembly halls, communal house, temple
1/ Fujian assembly hall
2/ Cantonese assembly hall
3/ Hainan assembly hall
4/ Minh Huong communal house
5/ Quan Cong temple
Japanese covered bridge (Chua Cau)
The museum of trading ceramics
UNESCO heritage site
Hoi An ancient town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site
Hoi An was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in December 1999.
Location
Hoi An is on the lower section of the Thu Bon River system. It is in the coastal plain of Quang Nam province, just 28 km to the Southeast of Da Nang City.
In Hoi An, the small branch of Thu Bon river is well known as Hoai river and therefore Hoi An town is also known as Hoai town (Hoai Pho).
Map
www.hoianworldheritage.org.vn
Click on the map to see clearer
You can print the map out or You will have the same map on the back side of Hoi An visiting ticket
Pic: Vietnamguidebook
Ba Le ancient well
(Source: Saigon Times, Travelfish and Tuoi Tre newspaper)
The Hoi An Center for Monuments Management and Preservation has completed a survey and announced a list of 80 ancient wells in Hoi An, the ancient town bathed in the glistening lights of colored lanterns and surrounded by ancient heritages in the central province of Quang Nam. The authorities then initiated plans to preserve the relics that are hundreds of years old and a part of the spiritual life of Hoi An residents.
Among them, Ba Le Well is one of the most famous ancient wells of the Cham people in Hoi An. It was dug around the 10th century and its mouth is square. As are other wells in town, Ba Le Well is clear and sweet and does not run dry even in the harsh dry season.
The water from ancient wells is a special ingredient in Hoi An culinary specialties like cao lau (noodles with roasted pork) and mi quang (local-style noodles).
“Without Ba Le Well water, xi ma (a traditional sweet soup) is tasteless,” said Ngo Thieu who has spent 60 years as xi ma vendor. Some residents believe that the well’s water should be used only for making tea and for cooking, not for bathing and washing as it is sacred water.
The water is used to serve tourists. On Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, on the way to the well, there is a water pot labeled “Well water for tourists” and it gets a lot of attention and curiosity.
Ancient wells are regarded as a link between Vietnamese and Cham people. They often have round tops and square bottoms, a design regarded by researchers as a Cham invention predating the 15th century. In general, all wells are made of bricks at the top and have square wood frames at the bottom. The frames are designed to make the wells stable and durable and to prevent their collapse. Bricks are stacked without using cement to allow leaks so that underground water can flow in and maintain water levels, said Nguyen Chi Trung, director of the Hoi An Center for Monuments Management and Preservation. He added that ancient wells were part of a tangible heritage and should be preserved as other relics.
The water from ancient wells is a special ingredient in Hoi An culinary specialties like cao lau (noodles with roasted pork) and mi quang (local-style noodles).
“Without Ba Le Well water, xi ma (a traditional sweet soup) is tasteless,” said Ngo Thieu who has spent 60 years as xi ma vendor. Some residents believe that the well’s water should be used only for making tea and for cooking, not for bathing and washing as it is sacred water.
The water is used to serve tourists. On Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, on the way to the well, there is a water pot labeled “Well water for tourists” and it gets a lot of attention and curiosity.
Ancient wells are regarded as a link between Vietnamese and Cham people. They often have round tops and square bottoms, a design regarded by researchers as a Cham invention predating the 15th century. In general, all wells are made of bricks at the top and have square wood frames at the bottom. The frames are designed to make the wells stable and durable and to prevent their collapse. Bricks are stacked without using cement to allow leaks so that underground water can flow in and maintain water levels, said Nguyen Chi Trung, director of the Hoi An Center for Monuments Management and Preservation. He added that ancient wells were part of a tangible heritage and should be preserved as other relics.
“Without Ba Le Well water, xi ma (a traditional sweet soup) is tasteless,” said Ngo Thieu who has spent 60 years as xi ma vendor. Some residents believe that the well’s water should be used only for making tea and for cooking, not for bathing and washing as it is sacred water.
The water is used to serve tourists. On Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, on the way to the well, there is a water pot labeled “Well water for tourists” and it gets a lot of attention and curiosity.
Ancient wells are regarded as a link between Vietnamese and Cham people. They often have round tops and square bottoms, a design regarded by researchers as a Cham invention predating the 15th century. In general, all wells are made of bricks at the top and have square wood frames at the bottom. The frames are designed to make the wells stable and durable and to prevent their collapse. Bricks are stacked without using cement to allow leaks so that underground water can flow in and maintain water levels, said Nguyen Chi Trung, director of the Hoi An Center for Monuments Management and Preservation. He added that ancient wells were part of a tangible heritage and should be preserved as other relics.
The water is used to serve tourists. On Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, on the way to the well, there is a water pot labeled “Well water for tourists” and it gets a lot of attention and curiosity.
Ancient wells are regarded as a link between Vietnamese and Cham people. They often have round tops and square bottoms, a design regarded by researchers as a Cham invention predating the 15th century. In general, all wells are made of bricks at the top and have square wood frames at the bottom. The frames are designed to make the wells stable and durable and to prevent their collapse. Bricks are stacked without using cement to allow leaks so that underground water can flow in and maintain water levels, said Nguyen Chi Trung, director of the Hoi An Center for Monuments Management and Preservation. He added that ancient wells were part of a tangible heritage and should be preserved as other relics.
Ancient wells are regarded as a link between Vietnamese and Cham people. They often have round tops and square bottoms, a design regarded by researchers as a Cham invention predating the 15th century. In general, all wells are made of bricks at the top and have square wood frames at the bottom. The frames are designed to make the wells stable and durable and to prevent their collapse. Bricks are stacked without using cement to allow leaks so that underground water can flow in and maintain water levels, said Nguyen Chi Trung, director of the Hoi An Center for Monuments Management and Preservation. He added that ancient wells were part of a tangible heritage and should be preserved as other relics.
In the twentieth century, a man named Ba Le spent his own money to restore the well. Most residents take water from this well for daily cooking.
(By Truong Chi, Saigon Times)
The Ba Le well, Hoi An
Start at Cam Nam island where you can have a great view of Hoi An riverside town. Visit Hoi An traditional market. Spend time at Museum of trading ceramics where you will have detailed information about Hoi An history and architecture. See the most beautiful old houses at Duc An and Tan Ky. Then move to one of the most impressive assembly halls - Fujian hall. Visit Japanese covered bridge at day and night time for colourful photos. Enjoy the beauty of Hoi An when lanterns are lit up with a cold glass of draft beer at riverside, then walk slowly back to your hotel through the small quiet streets...
Hoi An ancient town view from Cam Nam island
Hoi An’s dwellers are always eager to celebrate the Festival and visitors can see beautiful lanterns in different kinds of shapes hung on every house and along the streets. Many of these lanterns are made by skillful craftsmen nationwide to compete at the lantern competition in the town.
5/ Cu Lao Cham paradise islands - World biosphere reserve
General info
The research results showed that there are 947 species living in the waters around the islands and in the dense hard and soft coral reefs.
There are more than 2,900 people living on the Cham islands. Most of islanders are fishermen. Very few islanders do farming or trading.
Local eateries
8/ Thanh Ha pottery village
Drying under the sun
3/ Pho Hoi hotel
Ba Trieu street
Other hotels
2/ Dong Khanh Hotel
Cua Dai beach
3/ Green bean cake (Banh dau xanh)
6/ Hoi An chicken rice (Com ga Hoi An)
Hoi An chicken rice: fragrant rice, small pieces of chicken meats (chickens raised in countryside gardens), Vietnamese coriander, very spicy chili sauce, pepper, green papaya, and salted onions.
7/ Hoi An fresh beer
Enjoy fresh beer at riverside lantern restaurants with 4,000VND/glass. Chatting with friends of just watching other tourists passing by
Hoi An tofu
D/ Shopping
A Dong silk
E/ Getting there
1/ By plane
Hoi An has no airport . You have to fly from Sai Gon or Ha Noi to Da Nang airport. Da Nang is about 30km from Hoi An.
Da Nang airport is quite small and there is no airport bus from airport to the center of city. I was a backpacker so I took a motorbike taxi to Han market in the center of city with 30,000VND
Vietjetair
My recent flight in June 2012 with Vietjetair from Sai Gon to Da Nang was good. The air attendants were nice and friendly. The Eco price for one way was about over 50USD. Check www.vietjetair.com for booking and promotion.
Danang office: Indochina building, 74 Bach Dang street, Hai Chau district. Tel: +84 511 381 0123 Fax: +84 511 381 0124
2/ By bus
You can come to Hoi An by bus from Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hue cities.
From Nha Trang, the sleeper bus departs about 7:00PM and arrive in Hoi An about 6:00AM. The price for one way is 349,000VND (Price of TheSinhTourist open bus operator on 1st August 2012)
From Da Nang and Hue, there are morning and afternoon seating/sleeper buses to Hoi An.
Hue to Hoi An is about 4 hours. Da Nang to Hoi An is about 1 hour.
The price for one way Hue - Hoi An is 69,000VND (Seating bus depart at 8:00AM) and 89,000VND ( sleeper bus depart at 1:30PM ) (Prices and departure time of TheSinhTourist open bus operator on 1st August 2012)
See Transport for more information about the famous open bus operators: TheSinhTourist, Phuong Trang and Mai Linh
There are two seasons. The wet season lasts from August to December and the dry from January to July. Cold winds are occasional in winter but they are not severe and are short.
G/ Hoi An from newspaper
Da Nang, Hoi An receive Asian Townscape Award
Central Da Nang and Hoi An cities have recently been chosen for the 2013 Asian Townscape Award honoring cities which are considered outstanding in landscape architecture.
The award is jointly given by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Habitat Society, the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center, and the Asian Townscape Design Society.
The official award announcement and award ceremony is being held today, November 26 in Fukuoka city, Japan.
In 1999, the ancient town of Hoi An was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO for being a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port in the 15th to 19th centuries, and containing buildings with a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Since then, it has been voted one of the top tourist destinations by several tourism magazines. In January of this year, Hoi An City was voted the world’s best tourism city by UK tourism magazine Wanderlust. Last month, the city also ranked second in a list of the Top 10 Asian Cities by prestigious American tourism magazine Condé Nast Traveler.
Da Nang’s My Khe beach was voted one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet by American business magazine Forbes last year.
(http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/15470/da-nang-hoi-an-receive-asian-townscape-award)
Hoi An and Hanoi were listed as two of the best holiday destinations in Asia in a recent poll carried out by online travel magazine Smart Travel Asia.
Of the 80 or so ancient wells located in Vietnam’s Hoi An, Ba Le Well is possibly the most talked about — along with being the most difficult to find. Water from the well, thought to have been built in the 10th century by the Cham people, is famed for its use in the town’s famed cao lau noodle. An entire mythology has blossomed around the well, including stories of mystical connections to fairies and a belief that the water is the coolest and sweetest in Hoi An.
One family I spoke to tried to convince me that the keeper of the well was almost as old as the well itself, with the strong medicinal powers of the water and its water spirits acting as a youthful elixir to keep him strong and healthy even at the ripe old age of 10,054 — although it’s possible my Vietnamese let me down after indulging in some rice wine made from cooked glutinous rice, herbs and the sweet Ba Le Well water.
Ba Le Well is located down the alley behind 45 Phan Chau Trinh Street, just up from the must-visit Ba Le Well restaurant. The easiest route is to take the first right after the traffic lights at the top of Le Loi and Tran Hung Dao Streets and follow the alley until you get to a Nguyen Coffee sign (that doesn’t really narrow it down much, so I’ve included a photo below). Take the first left hand alley and on your right, that big square concrete thing? Take a look down it — that’s the Ba Le Well.
Ba Le Well is looked after by the rather well suited ancient, and maybe a little away-with-the-fairies himself, Mr Ba Lo Le, who recently plunged (sorry) all his money into restoring the well. Every day Mr Ba Lo Le takes the water from the well and delivers it to poor families nearby, who use the sacred water for cooking xi ma, a traditional medicinal watercress soup, which without the Ba Le Well water is said to be tasteless, and for making tea — but never for washing. These poor families have their own wells, but the water from them is undrinkable.
It seems that the Ba Le Well water’s use in the cao lau noodle has been put on hold for now, as the Ngoc family — the only family in town holding the recipe for the noodle and who are responsible for supplying the whole town each day — have built their own well to save them time. From this well springs a similar alum-rich water, which they mix with ash that’s said to give the noodle its chewy texture. The government is keen for the family to share its secret noodle recipe to prevent thecao lau noodle disappearing with the Ngoc family, so I’d like to think the Ba Le Well and the eccentric Mr Ba Lo Le will once again, one day, be the town’s main supplier.
Ba Le Well may not be one of Hoi An’s must-see attractions, although it is one of the most famous. Time your visit right to bump into Mr Ba Lo Le — at around 15:00 or at dawn — and you will get to meet one of the real faces of Hoi An. He may share a little of his own medicinal tipple, which almost certainly does not come from the well!
Ba Le Well
45 Phan Chau Trinh St, Hoi An
45 Phan Chau Trinh St, Hoi An
Ba Le Well Restaurant
51 Phan Chau Trinh St, Hoi An
51 Phan Chau Trinh St, Hoi An
2/ One day walking in Hoi An ancient town
As statistics shows, in Hoi An there are 1,360 relics and landscapes. These relics are divided into eleven kinds, including 1,068 ancients houses, 19 pagodas, 43 temples, 23 communal houses, 38 family temples, 5 assembly halls, 11 old wells, one bridge, 44 ancient tombs. In old quarter, there are more than 1000 relic sites.
Here are some of my picks: * Hoi An riverside * Hoi An market * Museum of trading ceramics * Duc An old house * Tan Ky old house * Fujian assembly hall * Hoi An at night
Start at Cam Nam island where you can have a great view of Hoi An riverside town. Visit Hoi An traditional market. Spend time at Museum of trading ceramics where you will have detailed information about Hoi An history and architecture. See the most beautiful old houses at Duc An and Tan Ky. Then move to one of the most impressive assembly halls - Fujian hall. Visit Japanese covered bridge at day and night time for colourful photos. Enjoy the beauty of Hoi An when lanterns are lit up with a cold glass of draft beer at riverside, then walk slowly back to your hotel through the small quiet streets...
Hoi An ancient town view from Cam Nam island
Hoang Dieu street with old trees and shoe shops
Hoi An shophouse
Sunset on Hoai river
Hoi An at night
3/ Hoi An festivals
* Lantern Festival in Hoi An
The Nguyen Tieu Festival is a very special event for Asians. And for residents in Hoi An, it is time to display colorful lanterns in the ancient town which attracts a large number of tourists every year.
The Nguyen Tieu festival or Lantern festival, originating from China, is celebrated on the 15th of the first lunar month. Since 2009, it has become an annual event of Hoi An city.
Hoi An’s dwellers are always eager to celebrate the Festival and visitors can see beautiful lanterns in different kinds of shapes hung on every house and along the streets. Many of these lanterns are made by skillful craftsmen nationwide to compete at the lantern competition in the town.
The first lanterns appeared in Hoi An hundreds of years ago. In the past, Hoi An was a famous trading port where many businessmen from China and Japan came to do business and lived in the town. Some Chinese lit their lanterns when they missed their hometown.
According to some elderly people in the city, Hoi An’s lanterns had been created and made by local residents. In the past, old lanterns were usually made in large shapes for rich houses. Then, skillful craftsmen of Hoi An created and produced smaller beautiful lanterns.
At present, workmanship for making lanterns has improved greatly. A lot of lanterns with wonderful decorations and different shapes have been created. Current lanterns are made with different materials to give them a beautiful and colorful look.
When lanterns are lit at night, they create a cozy and amazing atmosphere. In particular, the ancient town of Hoi An will be filled with dazzling bright streets with hundreds of lit lanterns. Thus, visitors can see the beauty of the ancient houses in daytime and colorful lanterns at night.
The Lantern Festival, with its many wonderful images of lanterns, has become one of the best springtime tourist attractions in Hoi An for visitors to discover.
(Source: People's Army Newspaper)
*Mid Auturmn Festival
Tet Trung Thu, as it is known in Vietnam, or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, is a wonderful festival that revolves around children. The festival, held annually on the 15th of Lunar August in Hoi An, helps create the most charming and picturesque night of the year. It involves the customs of moon contemplation, lion dance, as well as parties with moon cakes and fruits.
On the night of Lunar August 15th, Hoi An streets are full of people wandering around. Children parade on the streets, singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes and shapes such as fishes, rabbits, carps, stars and butterflies.
One important event before and during Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival is lion dancing. Both non-professional and professional children groups perform dances on the streets or in people's houses. If accepted by the host, "the lion" goes in and starts dancing as a wish of luck. The Lord Earth, called Ong Dia, dances around the dragon, urging it on. Ong Dia has a very round, happy smiling moon-face, and represents the prosperity and wealth of Earth.
Besides the lion dance, it is customary to offer Banh Trung Thu (boxes of moon cakes) to family and special friends. The cakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste, are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and orange peels and have a bright egg yolk in the center to represent the moon. “Banh deo” is the white cake, made of sticky rice and filled with a sweet mixture of lotus seeds, pumpkin seeds or green beans. “Banh nuong” is the brown cake and has a salty taste, it is made of a mixture of egg, pork fat, fried onion, peanut and lemon leaves. Both can be in round or square shapes.
Whether the Mid-Autumn Festival is organized in the city or countryside, its preserved tradition is reflected in the preparation of food trays to contemplate the moon, in lantern marching, lion and unicorn dances, and even in the way the children play different games, such as hide-and-seek. In the bright moonlight, clear sky and fresh environment, everybody is relaxed.
Not only locals, but also foreign tourists are warmly welcome to join in this special festival. You will definitely have lots of fun wondering in the streets amidst the crowds, seeing children carrying the lanterns, eating cakes and receiving gifts of celebration during the Mid-Autumn festival!
Champa kingdom and My Son sanctuary (Description of UNESCO)
The Champa Kingdom was an important phenomenon in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia, vividly illustrated by the ruins of My Son. The sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction of the Hindu architecture of the Indian subcontinent into South-East Asia.
My Son, a valley surrounded by mountains, was chosen as the site for a religious centre for the capital of the Champa Kingdom. The sanctuary area is one of the most famous Champa architectural and sculptural monuments in Viet Nam.
The Champa Kingdom began in AD 192. The Cham economy was based on farming (wet-rice agriculture), fishing, and seaborne trade. When the Cham came under the influence of the Hindu religion, many temples were built to the Hindu divinities, such as Krishna and Vishnu, but above all Shiva. Mahayana Buddhism must have penetrated the Cham culture later, probably in the 4th century, and became strongly established in the north of the Champa Kingdom.
While the religious significance of My Son was important, its location in a small valley surrounded by high mountains gave it strategic significance as an easily defensible stronghold. Successive kings in the 6th to 8th centuries favoured My Son and endowed it with fine temples. In the later 10th century, most of the finest surviving architectural monuments were built there.
Most of the 11th century was a period of continuous warfare and My Son, along with other sacred sites in the Champa Kingdom, suffered grievously. Harivarman IV had moved his capital to Do Ban towards the end of the century and he undertook the restoration of My Son. From 1190 to 1220 the Champa Kingdom was occupied by the Khmers. From the 13th century the Champa Kingdom slowly declined and was absorbed by the growing power of Viet Nam. It ceased to exist as an entity in the later 15th century, when worship ceased at My Son.
The site represents the ancient settlement and sanctuary area; eight groups of tower temples have been singled out. In date they cover the period from the 10th to the 13th centuries, and this long date range is reflected in different architectural styles. All are constructed in fired brick with stone pillars and decorated with sandstone bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology.
The main tower (kalan ) symbolizes the sacred mountain (meru ) at the centre of the universe. The square or rectangular base (bhurloka ), representing the human world, is built from brick or stone blocks and decorated with reliefs. Above this rises the main tower (bhuvakola ), constructed entirely in brick, with applied columns and a false door facing east.
The interiors are plain, with small niches for lamps; the Shivalingam was situated on a plinth in the centre. It symbolized the spirit world. The towers were separated from their roofs (suarloka ) by a decorated frieze. Many of these roofs were originally covered with gold or silver leaf.
The predominant style of the architecture and sculptural decoration of the My Son temples derives directly from India.
My Son - Angkor - Wat Phou - Sambor Prei Kuk (my point of vew)
Indochina has three famous UNESCO heritage sites: My Son (Vietnam), Angkor (Cambodia) and Wat Phou (Laos). Angkor with its hundreds of temples surviving today is absolutely a wonder of the world and is put into the same list with Egyptian pyramids. Wat Phou temple complex is ruined and small but it is beautifully located at the base of mount Phu Kao with many green trees, some 6km from the great Mekong river. My Son temple complex is much bigger than Wat Phou but in comparison with Angkor temples, My Son is really tiny and contains fewer ruins within a small area that you can easily walk around and discover in some hours.
The first time when I stood in front of Angkor Wat, the largest religious standstone building in the world, I couldnt imagine (and believe) how the Khmer people (and the human too!) could build up this "huge home of gods cast in stone" in the years of 1113 - 1150... Modern world with more and more tallest buildings, but there is definitely no second Angkor!
Vey few and small ruins of Wat Phou didnt give me the feeling of surprise. In fact, its surrounding beautiful and quiet sceneries kept my legs there for a half day.
Visiting My Son with good imagination, you could see the glory of Champa kingdom once sacked the great Angkor empire in the year of 1177! But to some other people, the very much ruined temples of My Son give them a dissapointed feeling. So, you maybe love it or just feel "its a normal destination"
While the main material that was used to build Angkor and Wat Phou temples were sandstone, the temples of My Son were mostly made of bricks. And I love "these elegant fire buildings" in a so green and quiet valley! Sunrise or the night with full moon; raining or the golden sunlights cover the valley, the temples really have different beauties at different times...
Both Angkor and My Son were forgotten in lush jungle for many centuries (5 centuries for Angkor and 6 centuries for My Son) and both were rediscovered also by the French!
In Cambodia, there are Sambor Pei Kuk temples that dates back from 7th century. The temples were made of bricks like My Son. Sambor Prei Kuk is definitely worth a visit if you are a temple/architecture lover. In Sambor Prei Kuk you can see the fighting between the temples and the nature: the trees with its spider-like networks swallowed the whole some temples! Sambor Prei Kuk is about 37km from Kampong Thom province.
Location and rediscovery of My Son
My Son sanctuary is located in a lush jungle valley with springs flowing through. Its about 55km from Hoi An ancient town, 70km from Da Nang city and is overlooked by Mahaparvata mountain (Local people call Mahaparvata as "Nui Rang Meo" or "Cat's tooth mountain")
My Son was built from the 4th century under the reign of king Bhadravaman and was constantly endowed with more and more fine temples in the following 9 centuries by successive kings. The temples were dedicated to Cham kings associated with divinities, particularly Shiva.
From the 13th century when Champa Kingdom slowly declined and was absorbed by the growing power of Viet Nam, My Son was gradually forgotten. It was rediscovered by the French in the late 19th century.
The Site
My Son used to be a group of more than 70 temple towers. Each temple has a typical architecture which reflects a historical stage of the Champa kingdom.
The earliest temple in My Son was built by God-king Bhadravaman and was dedicated to Hindu god Shiva called Bhadresvara (Bhadravarman king + Hindu god Isvara/Shiva = Bhadresvara). This wooden temple was burn after 2 centuries. The successive kings built more and more wooden temples. From 7th century, bricks were the main material used to build the temples
Most of the present My Son temples date back from 10th century. According to many archaeologists and reseachers, My Son had a great development in this century. The temples had the same style that archaeologists and reseachers call "My Son A1 style". (A1 was the most classic and perfect temple of My Son but was destroyed by USA bomb in the year of 1969)
Due to natural disasters and Vietnam war-related damages, only about 20 temple towers still remain in My Son. However, most of the remaining epitaphs, archaeology analysis and relics preserved in My Son and some domestic museums such as Danang Cham museum, Ho Chi Minh historical museum sufficiently make us dramatically admire the art of architecture and sculpture of the ancient Champa people. Especially, up to now, the technic of sticking the baked bricks together without any mortar in construction of temple towers in My Son still a secret stimulating fondness for curiosity, discovery and research of scientists as well as of everyone.
Archaeologists have divided My Son temples into 9 main groups named A, A', B, C, D, E, F, G, H.
A temple named K is almost damaged. And there were some temples that were totally collapsed named L, M, N.
My Son exhibition house
The house is beside the ticket office and a lavatory.
In the house you can see:
* A big information map showing you the location of My Son temple groups.
* Brief information of My Son sanctuary
* Map of ancient ruins in Southeast Asia
* Map of Cham temple complex from Quang Nam province to Binh Thuan province
* Pictures show the architectural processing of temple-towers in My Son
* Pictures of different types of inscriptions in My Son
* Pictures of dressing types
* Pictures of dancing and musical instruments
* Images of decorative animals
* Pictures of the art of sculpture in My Son
* Pictures of the ritual in My Son
* Information of researchers and conservators worked in My Son in 20th century...
4/ My Son sanctuary - UNESCO heritage site
Champa kingdom and My Son sanctuary (Description of UNESCO)
The Champa Kingdom was an important phenomenon in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia, vividly illustrated by the ruins of My Son. The sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction of the Hindu architecture of the Indian subcontinent into South-East Asia.
My Son, a valley surrounded by mountains, was chosen as the site for a religious centre for the capital of the Champa Kingdom. The sanctuary area is one of the most famous Champa architectural and sculptural monuments in Viet Nam.
The Champa Kingdom began in AD 192. The Cham economy was based on farming (wet-rice agriculture), fishing, and seaborne trade. When the Cham came under the influence of the Hindu religion, many temples were built to the Hindu divinities, such as Krishna and Vishnu, but above all Shiva. Mahayana Buddhism must have penetrated the Cham culture later, probably in the 4th century, and became strongly established in the north of the Champa Kingdom.
While the religious significance of My Son was important, its location in a small valley surrounded by high mountains gave it strategic significance as an easily defensible stronghold. Successive kings in the 6th to 8th centuries favoured My Son and endowed it with fine temples. In the later 10th century, most of the finest surviving architectural monuments were built there.
Most of the 11th century was a period of continuous warfare and My Son, along with other sacred sites in the Champa Kingdom, suffered grievously. Harivarman IV had moved his capital to Do Ban towards the end of the century and he undertook the restoration of My Son. From 1190 to 1220 the Champa Kingdom was occupied by the Khmers. From the 13th century the Champa Kingdom slowly declined and was absorbed by the growing power of Viet Nam. It ceased to exist as an entity in the later 15th century, when worship ceased at My Son.
The site represents the ancient settlement and sanctuary area; eight groups of tower temples have been singled out. In date they cover the period from the 10th to the 13th centuries, and this long date range is reflected in different architectural styles. All are constructed in fired brick with stone pillars and decorated with sandstone bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology.
The main tower (kalan ) symbolizes the sacred mountain (meru ) at the centre of the universe. The square or rectangular base (bhurloka ), representing the human world, is built from brick or stone blocks and decorated with reliefs. Above this rises the main tower (bhuvakola ), constructed entirely in brick, with applied columns and a false door facing east.
The interiors are plain, with small niches for lamps; the Shivalingam was situated on a plinth in the centre. It symbolized the spirit world. The towers were separated from their roofs (suarloka ) by a decorated frieze. Many of these roofs were originally covered with gold or silver leaf.
The predominant style of the architecture and sculptural decoration of the My Son temples derives directly from India.
My Son - Angkor - Wat Phou - Sambor Prei Kuk (my point of vew)
Indochina has three famous UNESCO heritage sites: My Son (Vietnam), Angkor (Cambodia) and Wat Phou (Laos). Angkor with its hundreds of temples surviving today is absolutely a wonder of the world and is put into the same list with Egyptian pyramids. Wat Phou temple complex is ruined and small but it is beautifully located at the base of mount Phu Kao with many green trees, some 6km from the great Mekong river. My Son temple complex is much bigger than Wat Phou but in comparison with Angkor temples, My Son is really tiny and contains fewer ruins within a small area that you can easily walk around and discover in some hours.
The first time when I stood in front of Angkor Wat, the largest religious standstone building in the world, I couldnt imagine (and believe) how the Khmer people (and the human too!) could build up this "huge home of gods cast in stone" in the years of 1113 - 1150... Modern world with more and more tallest buildings, but there is definitely no second Angkor!
Vey few and small ruins of Wat Phou didnt give me the feeling of surprise. In fact, its surrounding beautiful and quiet sceneries kept my legs there for a half day.
Visiting My Son with good imagination, you could see the glory of Champa kingdom once sacked the great Angkor empire in the year of 1177! But to some other people, the very much ruined temples of My Son give them a dissapointed feeling. So, you maybe love it or just feel "its a normal destination"
While the main material that was used to build Angkor and Wat Phou temples were sandstone, the temples of My Son were mostly made of bricks. And I love "these elegant fire buildings" in a so green and quiet valley! Sunrise or the night with full moon; raining or the golden sunlights cover the valley, the temples really have different beauties at different times...
Both Angkor and My Son were forgotten in lush jungle for many centuries (5 centuries for Angkor and 6 centuries for My Son) and both were rediscovered also by the French!
In Cambodia, there are Sambor Pei Kuk temples that dates back from 7th century. The temples were made of bricks like My Son. Sambor Prei Kuk is definitely worth a visit if you are a temple/architecture lover. In Sambor Prei Kuk you can see the fighting between the temples and the nature: the trees with its spider-like networks swallowed the whole some temples! Sambor Prei Kuk is about 37km from Kampong Thom province.
Location and rediscovery of My Son
My Son sanctuary is located in a lush jungle valley with springs flowing through. Its about 55km from Hoi An ancient town, 70km from Da Nang city and is overlooked by Mahaparvata mountain (Local people call Mahaparvata as "Nui Rang Meo" or "Cat's tooth mountain")
My Son was built from the 4th century under the reign of king Bhadravaman and was constantly endowed with more and more fine temples in the following 9 centuries by successive kings. The temples were dedicated to Cham kings associated with divinities, particularly Shiva.
From the 13th century when Champa Kingdom slowly declined and was absorbed by the growing power of Viet Nam, My Son was gradually forgotten. It was rediscovered by the French in the late 19th century.
The Site
My Son used to be a group of more than 70 temple towers. Each temple has a typical architecture which reflects a historical stage of the Champa kingdom.
The earliest temple in My Son was built by God-king Bhadravaman and was dedicated to Hindu god Shiva called Bhadresvara (Bhadravarman king + Hindu god Isvara/Shiva = Bhadresvara). This wooden temple was burn after 2 centuries. The successive kings built more and more wooden temples. From 7th century, bricks were the main material used to build the temples
Most of the present My Son temples date back from 10th century. According to many archaeologists and reseachers, My Son had a great development in this century. The temples had the same style that archaeologists and reseachers call "My Son A1 style". (A1 was the most classic and perfect temple of My Son but was destroyed by USA bomb in the year of 1969)
Archaeologists have divided My Son temples into 9 main groups named A, A', B, C, D, E, F, G, H.
A temple named K is almost damaged. And there were some temples that were totally collapsed named L, M, N.
My Son exhibition house
The house is beside the ticket office and a lavatory.
In the house you can see:
* A big information map showing you the location of My Son temple groups.
* Brief information of My Son sanctuary
* Map of ancient ruins in Southeast Asia
* Map of Cham temple complex from Quang Nam province to Binh Thuan province
* Pictures show the architectural processing of temple-towers in My Son
* Pictures of different types of inscriptions in My Son
* Pictures of dressing types
* Pictures of dancing and musical instruments
* Images of decorative animals
* Pictures of the art of sculpture in My Son
* Pictures of the ritual in My Son
* Information of researchers and conservators worked in My Son in 20th century...
Photo credit: Vietnamguidebook
General info
On 26th May 2009, in Jeju island of South Korea, Cu Lao Cham islands have been recognised by the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) as a global biosphere reserve.
In terms of topography, geomorphology, Cham islands are the extension to the southeast of the granite massif of Bach Ma - Hai Van - Son Tra which geologists call " Hai Van complex" formed about 230 million years ago.
The Cham islands have a total area of 6.719ha. 165ha of which is coral reefs and approximately 500 ha is seagrass beds.
The research results showed that there are 947 species living in the waters around the islands and in the dense hard and soft coral reefs.
The flora includes 342 species. Over 60% of all species can be used for different purposes. Thanks to the good vegetation cover, the forest is the habitat of many animal species: 12 species of mammals, 13 species of birds, 130 reptiles and five species of amphibians. Among them, the notable long-tailed macaques and two species of swift are listed in the Vietnam's Red Book.
There are more than 2,900 people living on the Cham islands. Most of islanders are fishermen. Very few islanders do farming or trading.
One day from Hoi An to Cu Lao Cham
The mobile phone woke me up at 6:00AM. I left Kim Lien guesthouse, crossed the Cam Nam bridge, and followed the Hoai riverside road to Japanese bridge. Opposite the bridge, on the other side of the river was Nguyen Hoang street which led to Thu Bon river. There, I got onboard a large local motorised boat which departs daily for Cu Lao Cham islands at 7:30AM
Mos of passengers were Cu Lao Cham islanders, some were Hoi An people and there were just only 3 Vietnamese tourists onboard. Going home, the islanders brought back a lot of goods, especially the argicultural products. They used motorbikes to transfer the goods to the boat. Some just bought the goods in Hoi An market at riverside and used small motorised boats to bring them here.
The boat "cruised" slowly for almost 1 hour on the Thu Bon river and I really loved the beautiful sceneries along and on the river: peaceful, green rice fields; large yellow "basket" fishing traps with their reflections placed in the middle of the river looked like the golden bowls ; small fishing boats with two black eyes on the large green waterways...
The boat arrived in Cua Dai border customs where Thu Bon river empties into East sea. Here the boat had to make a short declaration. I saw a lot of Vietnamese tourists as well as many diving boats.
Then the boat continued for one more hour and arrived in the biggest island of Cu Lao Cham. There was no
tourism investment on this island and electricity was just from 6:00PM to 11:00PM. It was really a lovely island that havent been "attacked" by human yet. I loved its many pristine white sand beaches and so clear sea water. Its great to spend some days here but I had to come back to Hoi An on the same day...
The local motorised boat left Hoi An at 7:30AM and back at 11:45AM
Small motorised boat "approacched" the big boat
Beautiful sceneries along and on Thu Bon river
Arrived in Cua Dai border customs where there were many diving boats departing for Cham islands
Arrived in the biggest island of Cham islands
The motorbike took me to the leafy hill. The road to the hill was in bad condition but the sea was so lovely with very clear and blue water
Small motorised boat "approacched" the big boat
Beautiful sceneries along and on Thu Bon river
Arrived in Cua Dai border customs where there were many diving boats departing for Cham islands
Arrived in the biggest island of Cham islands
The motorbike took me to the leafy hill. The road to the hill was in bad condition but the sea was so lovely with very clear and blue water
From the hill, I had to walk down to Bai Chong beach - one of the most beautiful beaches of Cham islands. Other Vietnamese tourists came here by boat
Guesthouses on island
Hai Tang pagoda on the island
Should book in advance. The islanders are very friendly. There was one family invited me to stay with them. As there was almost no restaurant on island so the guesthouse you stay will cook for you too.
1/ Hoa Luu Ly guesthouse
Address: Bai Lang village
Tel: 0510 3930 240 - 0972 414 515
Tel: 0510 3930 240 - 0972 414 515
Room rate: 10USD
Overview: Basci clean and nice room, fan, shared bathroom
2/ Thu Trang guesthouse
Address: Bai lang village
Tel: 0510 3930 007 - 0985 237 941
Room rate: 8USD up
Overview: Basic and clean room, shared bathroom
6/ An Bang beach - world's 50 best beaches
Located 3km from the ancient city of Hoi An, An Bang has been listed among the world’s 50 best beaches by CNN Go. This pristine beach is very peaceful and poetic with gentle waves lapping the shore.
Pics: vietnamguidebook
7/ Cua Dai beach
Cua Dai beach is about 5km east of Hoi An town. From Hoi An a bicycle ride took me along the peaceful countryside village with green coconuts and rice fields before arrived in the white sandy Cua Dai beach.
In the late afternoon, especially on weekend, some parts of this long beach are crowded with local people and tourists. They come here for swimming, of course, and playing football and eating... On weekdays, this pristine beach is a nice spot to relax and soak up some sun.
Along the beach there are some 5-star resorts as well as some local eateries offering Hoi An food like My Quang noodle and Cao Lau...
Best months for swimming: April to July
Bycling along peaceful countryside to Cua Dai beach
Green coconuts along some parts of the beach
Local eateries
Pics: vietnamguidebook
8/ Thanh Ha pottery village
The 500-year Thanh Ha pottery village is on the banks of Thu Bon river, 3km West of Hoi An ancient town.
Formed at the end of XV century, the village reached its peak in XVI nad XVII century when Hoi An ancient town and port were in the golden time.
There are more than 25 kinds of pottery product including jars, pots, bowls, pottery light, animal shapes, tiles, bricks... The products made by the villagers mainly serve the daily lives of the local people and are sold in Hoi An market as well as in the Central part of Vietnam.
At present, the village has about 20 families with more than 100 people earning living by making pottery. Among them, Ms Nguyen Thi Duoc, 87 years old, has the longest job seniority with 75 years. 10 years ago, Ms Duoc could make 1000 to 1500 products per month. With 60 seconds, she can make a medium pot.
The main material that is used to make Thanh Ha pottery is clay. The potters buy the clay from Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen, Dai Loc districts of Quang Nam province. The clay is transported to Thanh Ha village by boat.
Depending on the time of burning and the temperature of the kiln, the color of pottery products can be changed from pink, pink yellow to red, light brown and ink-black.
Coming to Thanh Ha, you are warmly welcomed to try to make a pottery product for your own.
The main material that is used to make Thanh Ha pottery is clay. The potters buy the clay from Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen, Dai Loc districts of Quang Nam province. The clay is transported to Thanh Ha village by boat.
Depending on the time of burning and the temperature of the kiln, the color of pottery products can be changed from pink, pink yellow to red, light brown and ink-black.
Coming to Thanh Ha, you are warmly welcomed to try to make a pottery product for your own.
The potter used her leg to make the poterry wheel run
Another potter give the clay the basic figure of product
Another potter give the clay the basic figure of product
Drying under the sun
Burning in 24 hours
Pics: vietnamguidebook
Pics: VOV
Pic: gomthanhha.com.vn
Pic: gomthanhha.com.vn
Pic: gomthanhha.com.vn
9//Tra Que vegetable village
There is nothing, at first sight, that sets Tra Que Village apart from others.
The scenes are the same. Farmers in conical hats hard at work in their fields, friendly and hospitable to strangers, and so on.
Then you sniff the air, and there is a difference. There is a sweet aroma that is either missing or not as strong in other places.
For centuries, Tra Que’s greenery has had this special quality, villagers will tell you proudly.
The fragrance of Tra Que vegetables and herbs has spiced up everyday meals for people in Hoi An Town since time immemorial, adding a special touch to traditional dishes like cao lầu, mì Quảng and bánh xèo.
Located by the banks of the De Vong River, the village is now home to nearly 200 households that cultivate vegetables on a total area of 40 hectares.
Old timers will tell you that Tra Que has been famous for its vast vegetable gardens for about 400 years. The first villagers here were all fishermen, but they soon discovered that the land here was perfect for growing vegetables.
With the long history of vegetable cultivation, the farmers’ skills and experience have been producing some of the country’s most celebrated greens, which have in fact been awarded their own trademark. On August 13, 2009, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam gave a certificate recognizing Tra Que vegetables as a brand name for the Cam Ha Agricultural Collective, which represented 131 households in Tra Que Village.
All one has to do is walk around the village. Green, small edible plants sprout everywhere, and that special fragrance stays with you.
When we get talking with the farmers, we learn that it takes a lot of hard work to develop the green thumbs they have.
“We have to learn how to till the land, sow the seeds and then how to nurture the plants,” said Manh Hung, an old farmer, as he wiped his sweaty face.
“These works may be easy for farmers in other places but more difficult for us here because we do not use chemical fertilizers.”
That’s the reason why Tra Que vegetables are being chosen by not only Hoi An residents but also families and supermarkets from neighboring areas like Da Nang City, Duy Xuyen and Hoa Vang districts.
“Our land here is enriched by the alluvium of the De Vong River,” one farmer said as he worked on his large onion garden.
“We fertilize it with algae from a nearby lagoon. That may be why our herbs are so green and tasty.”
Among more than 20 kinds of vegetables and herbs grown here are cabbage, colza or rape, celery, kohlrabi and basil. The last mentioned is the most famous product in Tra Que. Similar to basil and mint, Tra Que savory is very popular in many restaurants and hotels in Hoi An because of its special fragrance.
As a unique recognition of the local farmers’ skills, people here call them “artists”. Thanks to their special products, the village has become an attractive destination for tourists, particularly foreigners. It has been a highlight for visitors to Hoi An since the first tour to the village was opened in 2004 by Hoi An Travel Company.
From Hoi An, visitors can choose a one-day or half-day tour to Tra Que, which gives them a chance to discover and experience the daily life of farmers by trying their hands at actual farming. Visitors can participate in all the activities like tilling the land, sowing the seeds, watering, fertilizing, harvesting and so on.
Visitors to the village are welcomed at two guest-houses before being taken to the gardens by local farmers. If they stay for a whole day, lunch will be served at the guest house with local specialties. Later, visitors can relax with a medical herbs foot massage before saying goodbye to the farmers.
"I really enjoyed the work though I’d never worked on a farm before," said an Irish visitor who joined a full-day tour with us. “Besides learning about the life of farmers in Vietnam, I can relax and get exercise at the same time”.
With a steady income from both farming and tourism, residents’ living standards have improved significantly, and visitors benefit from the added pleasure of being guests of hard-working, happy people.
Source: ThanhNien News
Pics: vietnamguidebook
10/ Learn to be a farmer / ride water buffalo
Learn to be a Vietnam farmer and experience riding water buffalo with Hoi An Eco Tour
11/ The most photographed wall in Hoi An ancient town
The wall is about 20m long, and is on Hoang Van Thu street
(Source: http://ngoisao.net/tin-tuc/thu-gian/an-choi/bi-mat-buc-tuong-duoc-chup-anh-nhieu-nhat-hoi-an-3106810.html) (http://hoian60s.com/toan-canh-hoi-an/giai-thuong-hoi-an/ve-hoi-an-ngam-buc-tuong-duoc-chup-anh-nhieu-nhat-hoi-an.html)
B/ Where to stay in Hoi An
* Its great to stay in an old house of Hoi An ancient town area. With 15USD, You see yourself in a basic room with fan, shared clean bathroom and friendly owner. With 80USD you stay in a deluxe room of a hotel designed in Hoi An ancient house
* Most tourists are heading to Hai Ba Trung and Ba Trieu streets where there are many guesthouses, standard and midrange hotels. With 17USD, you will stay in a mini hotel with nice clean room coming with A/C, Tivi, fridge. From 25USD up, you will enjoy a nice hotel with large room, some with artful design and swimming pool. Starting at 35USD, you see yourself in a 3-star hotel with buffet breakfast, nice swimming pool, lift, LCD Tivi, fridge... Hai Ba Trung and Ba Trieu streets are just about 10-minute walk to ancient town
* Want to leave the crowded area but near the ancient town? Well, come to Cam Nam island. There is one nice guesthouse (I stayed) and some 3-star hotels.
* Most 4 and 5-star hotel, resorts are located along Cua Dai beach which is about 5km from ancient town
* Other hotels
Please note that the research was doned on 20th and 21st June 2012 by a Vietnamese. This was the low season. Expect to pay more in high season, weekends and as a foreigner
Ancient town area
1/ (My pick) Sanh Hien old house
Address: 7 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. Near Phung Hung ancient house
Tel: 0510 3863 631
Room rate: 15USD
Overview: Stay in ancient house with basic room coming with fan. Clean shared bathroom. Friendly owners. Just has two rooms so needed to book in advance
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 143 Tran Phu street
Tel: 0510 3861 621
Room rate: 80USD up
Overview: Stay in a deluxe hotel designed in Hoi An old house style
Book online
Pics: vietnamguidebook
3/ Pho Hoi hotel
Address: 7/2 Tran Phu street
Tel: 0510 3861 633
Room rate: 15USD up
Overview: good location, basic room with Tivi, fridge, friendly
Pics: vietnamguidebook
Cam Nam island
1/ Kim Lien guesthouse
Address: Cam Nam island, Hoi An city. Cross the Cam Nam bridge, walk about 5 minutes, the guesthouse is in a small quiet alley. Its about 10-minute walk to ancient town
Tel: 0932 594 992 - 0510 3864 780 - 0935 422 163
Room rate: 8USD (with fan), 13USD (with A/C)
Overview: the 5-room guesthouse in a nice garden with pomelo, jack fruit, star fruit trees. Owned by a friendly and helpful family. Clean and quiet rooms. 3-minute walk to Hoai river where a paddle boat will take you to Hoi An market with just only 5,000VND
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 54 Nguyen Tri Phuong street, Cam Nam island, Hoi An city.
Cross the Cam Nam bridge, walk about 10 minutes, the hotel is on the right hand
Cross the Cam Nam bridge, walk about 10 minutes, the hotel is on the right hand
Tel: 0510 3936 205
Fax: 0510 3936 207
Email: sales.ha@vanloihotelhoian.com
Overview: 3-star hotel in a big building with swimming pool, artful design, nice room, lift
Fax: 0510 3936 207
Email: sales.ha@vanloihotelhoian.com
Overview: 3-star hotel in a big building with swimming pool, artful design, nice room, lift
Room rate: 40USD up with buffet breakfast. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: Cam Nam island, Hoi An city. Just cross the Cam Nam bridge, you will see the hotel is on the right hand
Tel: 0510 3862 628
Fax: 0510 3862 626
Email: phohoiht@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: 3-star riverside resort with swimming pool, artful design, nice room, and beautiful garden, friendly staff
Fax: 0510 3862 626
Email: phohoiht@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: 3-star riverside resort with swimming pool, artful design, nice room, and beautiful garden, friendly staff
Room rate: 45USD up with buffet breakfast. Book online
Address: 712 Hai Ba Trung street
Tel: 0510 3863 715 - 0510 3916 110
Fax: 0510 3916 779
Email: vothihong@dng.vnn.vn
Fax: 0510 3916 779
Email: vothihong@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: Big hotel, large and nice room with A/C, LCD Tivi, fridge
Room rate: 25USD up with breakfast. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 696 Hai Ba Trung street
Tel: 0510 3916 838 - 0905 185 965
Fax: 0510 3916 839
Overview: Basic and clean room, small swimming pool, free wifi and internet access
Fax: 0510 3916 839
Overview: Basic and clean room, small swimming pool, free wifi and internet access
Room rate: 20USD up. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 680 Hai Ba Trung street
Tel: 0510 3916 232
Fax: 0510 3916 800
Email: dailonghotel@vnn.vn
Overview: Large and nice room with A/C, Tivi, fridge, free Internet access
Fax: 0510 3916 800
Email: dailonghotel@vnn.vn
Overview: Large and nice room with A/C, Tivi, fridge, free Internet access
Room rate: 17USD up. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
4/ Lucky House Hotel
Address: 622 Hai Ba Trung street
Tel: 0510 3919 999 -0913 480 680
Room rate: 25 USD! (Its expensive!)
Room rate: 25 USD! (Its expensive!)
Overview: Large and nice room with A/C, Tivi, fridge
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 98 Ba Trieu street
Tel: 0510 3916 364 - 0510 3916 777
Fax: 0510 3916 779
Email: vothihong@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: Big hotel, large and nice room with A/C, LCD Tivi, fridge, swimming pool
Fax: 0510 3916 779
Email: vothihong@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: Big hotel, large and nice room with A/C, LCD Tivi, fridge, swimming pool
Room rate: 25USD up with breakfast. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 92 - 94 Ba Trieu street
Tel: 0510 3916 565 - 0510 3916 566
Fax: 0510 3916 567
Email: thuyduongco@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: 3-star hotel, artful design room, lift, LCD Tivi, fridge, swimming pool, friendly staff
Fax: 0510 3916 567
Email: thuyduongco@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: 3-star hotel, artful design room, lift, LCD Tivi, fridge, swimming pool, friendly staff
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 52 Ba Trieu street
Tel: 0510 3916 330
Fax: 0510 3916 209
Email: thienngahotel@gmail.com
Fax: 0510 3916 209
Email: thienngahotel@gmail.com
Room rate: 20USD up. Book online
Overview: Nice hotel and room, free Internet access
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 30 Ba Trieu street
Tel: 0510 3916 696
Fax: 0510 3916 697
Email: sales@longlifehotels.com
Overview: Artful design, nice and large room, big bathroom, swimming pool
Fax: 0510 3916 697
Email: sales@longlifehotels.com
Overview: Artful design, nice and large room, big bathroom, swimming pool
Room rate: 30USD up. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 16 Ba Trieu street
Tel: 0510 3916 545 - 0905 176 277
Fax: 0510 3916 546
Email: thienthanhhotel@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: Artful design, very nice room, swimming pool
Fax: 0510 3916 546
Email: thienthanhhotel@dng.vnn.vn
Overview: Artful design, very nice room, swimming pool
Room rate: 35USD up. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 96 Ba Trieu street
Tel: 0510 3916 277 - 0510 3917 277
Fax: 0510 3916 359
Email: booking@hoianvinhhung3hotel.com
Fax: 0510 3916 359
Email: booking@hoianvinhhung3hotel.com
Room rate: 47USD up. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Other hotels
Address: 10 Tran Hung Dao street
Tel: 0510 3861 445
Fax: 0510 3861 636
Email: info@hoianhotel.com.vn
Overview: 4-star hotel with swimming pool, big and nice room, leafy garden, friendly staff, free shuttle bus to Cua Dai beach
Fax: 0510 3861 636
Email: info@hoianhotel.com.vn
Overview: 4-star hotel with swimming pool, big and nice room, leafy garden, friendly staff, free shuttle bus to Cua Dai beach
Room rate: 100USD up with buffet breakfast. Book online
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
Address: 308 Nguyen Duy Hieu street
Tel: 0510 3914 400
Overview: Nice and big room, LCD Tivi, Free Internet access, small swimming pool, friendly
Overview: Nice and big room, LCD Tivi, Free Internet access, small swimming pool, friendly
Room rate: 20USD up.
Photo credit: vietnamguidebook
3/ An Phu Hotel
Address: 288 Nguyen Duy Hieu street
Tel: 0510 3914 345 - 3914 347
Fax: 0510 3914 054
Web: www.anphuhotel.com.vn
Fax: 0510 3914 054
Web: www.anphuhotel.com.vn
Room rate: 25USD up
Overview: Nice and big room, Tivi, Free Internet access, swimming pool, friendly
Bonus: A member of An Phu tourist company; open bus to Hue and other cities; tour services
Pics: vietnamguidebook
1/ Victoria Hoian Beach Resort and Spa (4-star hotel, a member of Victoria group)
Address: Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An Town
Tel: + 84 510 392 7040
Fax: + 84 510 392 7041
Book online
Address: 01 Cua Dai St., Hoi An City, Quang Nam - Vietnam
Tel: (+84.510) 392 7011
Fax: (+84.510) 392 7019
Email: info@hoianbeachresort.com.vn
Tel: (+84.510) 392 7011
Fax: (+84.510) 392 7019
Email: info@hoianbeachresort.com.vn
Address: 175 Cua Dai Road , Hoi An Town
Tel: (84-510) 3864 800
Fax: (84-510) 3864 900
Fax: (84-510) 3864 900
Email: info@hoianriverresort.com.vn
Address: Lac Long Quan Street, Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Tel: (84.510) 3.927.927 - Fax: (84.510) 3.927.928
Tel: (84.510) 3.927.927 - Fax: (84.510) 3.927.928
E-mail: info@pgr.com.vn
5/ The Nam Hai (5 star +): The Nam Hai was in the top 10 resorts in Asia, up from 14th place last year.
Address: Hamlet 1 Dien Duong Village, Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province
Tel: (84) 510 394 0000
Fax: (84) 510 394 0999
Fax: (84) 510 394 0999
C/ Food and drink
Trung Bac restaurant
C/ Food and drink
1/ White rose
A vacation in the historic town of Hoi An in Vietnam’s central region is not complete without a foodie fiesta. Among the many mouthwatering delicacies dished out in the town is the elegantly named white rose.
Almost every restaurant in town now serves up its own white rose, but only one family holds the secret recipe that made the dish famous.
At 533 Hai Ba Trung Street, Tran Tuan Ngai is a third generation secret keeper of the traditional white rose recipe.
Ngai’s grandfather first created the light and fluffy dumplings for family dinners. They became so popular that he started selling the dumplings to his neighbors. When demand increased, he turned a part of his house into a bistro.
A French reporter traveling through Vietnam was so taken by beauty and flavors of the dumpling that he coined the name “Hoa hong trang” (white rose).
Since then, white rose, which actually is a plate with two different kinds of dumplings – banh bao and banh vac – has become an iconic part of the town’s culinary culture.
Ngai’s mother Trinh Thi Hue passed on the recipe to him. “We have the original recipe of the dough, minced filling and the dipping sauce,” he said. “It takes at least three years to become an expert at making the white rose.”
Making the white rose is not as easy as it looks.
Ngai cooks and grinds white rice from the Mekong Delta. He only uses the water drawn from the old Ba Le well, which is filtered and purified 15-20 times before being mixed with the rice paste to form airy dough.
Then, he rolls out the dough and cuts into small circles. He takes some filling - made of minced shrimp mixed with spices - places it in the center of each circle of dough, and deftly wraps it in the shape of a rose.
The unique dipping sauce is made of shrimp broth, hot chilies, lemon and sugar. A plate of steaming white rose cost about US$4.
A French tourist Karpiel Sebastien, 27, said that he had been eager to try the delicacy after seeing it in many guide books.
Ngai says his shop makes about two to three thousand dumplings everyday to serve at their café and also supply to restaurants and bistros in the town.
Dumpling - White Rose
Add: 533 Hai Ba Trung St, Hoi An
Tel: (+84.510) 3862784
Dumpling - White Rose
Add: 533 Hai Ba Trung St, Hoi An
Tel: (+84.510) 3862784
(Source: Thanh Nien newspaper)
2/ Black sesame sweet soup (Chi ma phu)
Hoi An City attracts tourists relying on its ancient houses, lanterns and various specialties. Besides the local foods, there are many foods that were imported many years ago. Chè mè en (black sesame sweet soup) is very popular for local residents and tourists alike.
Chè mè en, also known as chí mà phù, was imported to Hoi An from Fujian Province in China when Chinese traders came to this city long time ago. The sweet soup has various ingredients such as black sesame, coconut, rice flour, sugar... So, it is not only considered a delicious dessert, but also a good medicine.
Chè mè en is cooked in a metal pot and is usually sold by hawkers. This sweet soup is the tastiest when it is served hot.
You can enjoy balck sesame sweet soup at night market along Hoai river near Japanese bridge
You can enjoy balck sesame sweet soup at night market along Hoai river near Japanese bridge
Source: Saigon Times Online
3/ Green bean cake (Banh dau xanh)
Cake made of ground green beans in Hoi An ( Green bean cake) has long-standing history. Since the 18th century, green bean cake had been a precious gift to offer to mandarins. In royal progresses of Minh Mang King to Quang Nam, he was offered the Hoi An top-ranking green bean cakes. Dai Nam Nhat Thong Tri, book II, volume VII, page 397 wrote “ green bean cake made in Hoi An is the best taste”.
The cake here in round or square shape.
You can buy green bean cake in Hoi An market
You can buy green bean cake in Hoi An market
(Source: hoianworldheritage)
4/ Quang noodle (Mi Quang)
This is the popular country dish in Hoian and Quang Nam. The noodle is yellow in color and made from rice flour. It is mixed with shrimp, pork and vegetables, and topped with grilled rice paper and spices.
After being soaked in water, the rice is ground to a fine powder and made into attractive smooth noodles. You can use pork, chicken, fish, crab or shrimp to make the broth. The noodles are yellow, somewhat distinct from Pho. However, the main reason for having this color is to be in harmony with the colors of shrimps and crabs.
This is the popular country dish in Hoian and Quang Nam. The noodle is yellow in color and made from rice flour. It is mixed with shrimp, pork and vegetables, and topped with grilled rice paper and spices.
After being soaked in water, the rice is ground to a fine powder and made into attractive smooth noodles. You can use pork, chicken, fish, crab or shrimp to make the broth. The noodles are yellow, somewhat distinct from Pho. However, the main reason for having this color is to be in harmony with the colors of shrimps and crabs.
Quang soft noodle soup tastes best when being served with a variety of herbs, such as mint leaves, cabbage, onion, coriander and so on. What makes Quang noodle soups unique is the richness of the broth and the crushed peanut toppings on the noodles.
(Source: hoianworldheritage)
Pic: vietnamguidebook
5/ Cao Lau vermicelli
Cao Lau is the foremost traditional Hoi An food. Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which is considered by Quang Nam people as a symbol for Hoi An. Cao lau noodles are carefully made from local new sticky rice. Water used to soak rice must be taken from wells in the Ba Le village.
On the Cao Lau noodles are some meat slices served with vegetables and bean sprouts. Eating lovers would find out the specific flavor of the dish.
6/ Hoi An chicken rice (Com ga Hoi An)
Hoi An chicken rice: fragrant rice, small pieces of chicken meats (chickens raised in countryside gardens), Vietnamese coriander, very spicy chili sauce, pepper, green papaya, and salted onions.
The spicy dish might burn your tongue a little bit, but it’s an essential part of the cultural experience in central Vietnam.
7/ Hoi An fresh beer
Enjoy fresh beer at riverside lantern restaurants with 4,000VND/glass. Chatting with friends of just watching other tourists passing by
Pics: vietnamguidebook
Hoi An tofu
Hoi An night food street
Chanh day (One kind of lemon with sugar and ice)
Make you feel cooler in the hot afternoon when visiting the ancient town
Good morning restaurant
Ganesh restaurant
D/ Shopping
A Dong silk
E/ Getting there
1/ By plane
Hoi An has no airport . You have to fly from Sai Gon or Ha Noi to Da Nang airport. Da Nang is about 30km from Hoi An.
Da Nang airport is quite small and there is no airport bus from airport to the center of city. I was a backpacker so I took a motorbike taxi to Han market in the center of city with 30,000VND
Vietjetair
My recent flight in June 2012 with Vietjetair from Sai Gon to Da Nang was good. The air attendants were nice and friendly. The Eco price for one way was about over 50USD. Check www.vietjetair.com for booking and promotion.
Saigon office: 8Bis Cong Truong Quoc Te street, District 3. Tel: +84 8 3827 0123 Fax: +84 8 3822 3815
Danang office: Indochina building, 74 Bach Dang street, Hai Chau district. Tel: +84 511 381 0123 Fax: +84 511 381 0124
Vietnamairlines
Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com) is the state-owned flag carrier. While the air industry just opens to individual in Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines is still the big brother on Vietnam blue sky.
Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com) is the state-owned flag carrier. While the air industry just opens to individual in Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines is still the big brother on Vietnam blue sky.
Head quarter: 200 Nguyen Son street, Bo De ward, Long Bien district, Hanoi. Tel: (84-4) 38 320 320
Saigon office telephone: (84-8) 38 320 320
Danang office telephone: (84-511) 3832 320
2/ By bus
You can come to Hoi An by bus from Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hue cities.
From Nha Trang, the sleeper bus departs about 7:00PM and arrive in Hoi An about 6:00AM. The price for one way is 349,000VND (Price of TheSinhTourist open bus operator on 1st August 2012)
From Da Nang and Hue, there are morning and afternoon seating/sleeper buses to Hoi An.
Hue to Hoi An is about 4 hours. Da Nang to Hoi An is about 1 hour.
The price for one way Hue - Hoi An is 69,000VND (Seating bus depart at 8:00AM) and 89,000VND ( sleeper bus depart at 1:30PM ) (Prices and departure time of TheSinhTourist open bus operator on 1st August 2012)
See Transport for more information about the famous open bus operators: TheSinhTourist, Phuong Trang and Mai Linh
F/ Best time to visit
The best time to visit Hoi An is from January to May, when the skies are sunnier and humidity levels lower. The summer months of June through August can get uncomfortably hot and sticky with temperatures of 33-37°C. It can also get crowded during these months since this is the time of year that sees a lot of domestic tourists.
There are two seasons. The wet season lasts from August to December and the dry from January to July. Cold winds are occasional in winter but they are not severe and are short.
The annual average temperature is 26oC. The highest temperature soars to 35 - 40oC in the months of June, July and August. The lowest is 18-23oC in December, January and February.
G/ Hoi An from newspaper
Da Nang, Hoi An receive Asian Townscape Award
Central Da Nang and Hoi An cities have recently been chosen for the 2013 Asian Townscape Award honoring cities which are considered outstanding in landscape architecture.
The award is jointly given by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Habitat Society, the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center, and the Asian Townscape Design Society.
The official award announcement and award ceremony is being held today, November 26 in Fukuoka city, Japan.
In 1999, the ancient town of Hoi An was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO for being a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port in the 15th to 19th centuries, and containing buildings with a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Since then, it has been voted one of the top tourist destinations by several tourism magazines. In January of this year, Hoi An City was voted the world’s best tourism city by UK tourism magazine Wanderlust. Last month, the city also ranked second in a list of the Top 10 Asian Cities by prestigious American tourism magazine Condé Nast Traveler.
Da Nang’s My Khe beach was voted one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet by American business magazine Forbes last year.
(http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/15470/da-nang-hoi-an-receive-asian-townscape-award)
Floods kill 24 in central VN; Hoi An under deep water (17 November 2013)
Floods in central Vietnam have left at least 24 people dead and 10 missing as of 8am on November 17, according to figures released by the Central – Central Highlands Center for floods control and prevention.
Floods in central Vietnam have left at least 24 people dead and 10 missing as of 8am on November 17, according to figures released by the Central – Central Highlands Center for floods control and prevention.
Among the dead, 12 were found in Binh Dinh, eight in Quang Ngai, two in Quang Nam, one in Kon Tum, and one in Gia Lai, it said.
10 people have been reported missing in Quang Nam (1), Quang Ngai (4), Binh Dinh (2), Phu Yen (1), Khanh Hoa (1), and Gia Lai (1).
Dien Ban, Dai Loc, Duy Xuyen districts and Hoi An town in Quang Nam province are submerged on a large-scale while 40 communes in Quang Ngai province are under deep water and many areas in the province have been isolated by the flooding.
As many as 98,094 houses in 41 communes in Binh Dinh province are deeply inundated. On Nov 16, heavy rains of up to 80mm were recorded in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces.
The river level from Quang Ngai to Binh Dinh is rising while the level from Thua Thien Hua to Quang Nam and Phu Yen is slowly subsiding, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).
The water level in rising rivers from Quang Ngai to Binh Dinh is forecast to reach its peak later today (Nov 17), said NCHMF.
Hoi An under deep water
In Hoi An, floodwaters are slowly receding but many areas in the ancient town are still under water. A section from Bach Dang Street to Hoi An market are 1.5m deep under water, forcing the temporary closure of the market.
Many residents on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street have to wade through knee-deep floodwaters. “This is the worst flooding since 2009 in the area. The floodwaters were rising so fast that we could do nothing” – Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau, a grocery owner on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, told Tuoi Tre.
In Minh An ward, Hoi An Town, many areas are 1.5m deep in water. Nevertheless, the evacuated residents have begun returning home to clean up their house and throw away rubbish brought in by floodwaters over the last two days.
Hoi An - Asia’s No. 2 Destination City: Condé Nas
Hoi An is now the second most alluring city in Asia, according to the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2013.
After cracking the top-10 list for the first time last year, Hoi An now sits behind Kyoto in Japan, this year’s winner.
“Readers fell in love with the ‘colorful houses and old mansions,’ which ‘felt like walking in a movie,’” Condé Nast Traveler reported in its annual survey, which many rank as the most coveted recognition in the worldwide travel industry.
Condé Nast Traveler’s 26th annual survey also placed five Vietnamese hotels and resorts on its top hospitality properties.
The 112-year-old Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi ranked fifth among the Top 25 hotels in Southeast Asia. The Park Hyatt Saigon, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi and Sofitel Saigon Plaza also scored top-25 finishes. The Nam Hai was in the top 10 resorts in Asia, up from 14th place last year.
(TheSaiGonTimes)
Hoi An and Ha Noi named best Asian destinations
The historic town of Hoi An remained in the fifth spot in the top ten holiday destinations in Asia while Hanoi entered the list for the first time in seventh position. Kerala in India topped the list, moving up from third last year.
The annual Best in Travel poll that ran from May to July also listed the best hotels, resorts, spas, airlines and airports in Asia.
The Nam Hai in Hoi An was ranked second in the top 25 leisure hotels and resorts in Asia. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Da Lat Palace and Princess d’Annam Resort and Spa were also featured in the list.
Smart Travel Asia has over one million readers worldwide who are frequent travelers. The Best in Travel poll, now in its sixth year, allows readers to vote for their favorites among thousands of options in Asia.
H/ Hoi An video
The annual Best in Travel poll that ran from May to July also listed the best hotels, resorts, spas, airlines and airports in Asia.
The Nam Hai in Hoi An was ranked second in the top 25 leisure hotels and resorts in Asia. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Da Lat Palace and Princess d’Annam Resort and Spa were also featured in the list.
Smart Travel Asia has over one million readers worldwide who are frequent travelers. The Best in Travel poll, now in its sixth year, allows readers to vote for their favorites among thousands of options in Asia.
Source: www.thanhniennews.com
There are over 30 lantern making enterprises in Hoi An.
This trade is developing and attracting a lot of workers in Hoi An. Hoi An people are always proud of the lanterns made by their own hands.
Hoi An lanterns are considered to express pure Vietnamese culture.
Close-up to traditional lantern making in Hoi An
VietNamNet Bridge – Lanterns appeared in Hoi An ancient town around the end of the 16th century. Today, this product has become a unique souvenir of Hoi An.
So far, the craft of making lanterns in Hoi An is about 400 years old.
There are over 30 lantern making enterprises in Hoi An.
This trade is developing and attracting a lot of workers in Hoi An. Hoi An people are always proud of the lanterns made by their own hands.
Hoi An lanterns are considered to express pure Vietnamese culture.
The standards for Hoi An lanterns have been set by the Quang Nam Provincial Measurement and Quality Standards Department, with nine shapes as round, octagonal, hexagonal, squash, garlic, barrel ...
Since the ancient town of Hoi An and My Son were recognized as World Cultural Heritage, the lantern craft has revived, creating jobs for many people.
Lanterns are hung everywhere in Hoi An.
H/ Hoi An video
Essential Vietnamese Phrases - 实用中文- 给旅行者的越南会话
I/ Rehahn gallery in Hoi An ancient town
Im a french photographer, living in Hoi An (Vietnam) since 2011.
Mail: rehahn.hoian@gmail.com
My gallery: 13, Nguyen Phuc Chu (back of Enjoy restaurant)
My gallery: 13, Nguyen Phuc Chu (back of Enjoy restaurant)
Biography
Im french photographer, living in Hoi An in Vietnam. I left France in 2011 and im planing to stay here for longtime. Im still travelling and used to go to Cuba every year. (my second home)
https://www.facebook.com/Rehahn.Photography
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