Hoi An Ancient Town And Interesting Secrets You Didn’t Know

What is special about Hoi An Ancient Town? Why has Hoi An Ancient Town never lost its appeal to travelers over the years? Let’s find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Hoi An Ancient Town with Anvui Travel!
It is not an exaggeration to say that it is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Vietnam today. From mainstream newspapers to famous social networking platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, the image of Hoi An Ancient Town appears full of nostalgia, and its beauty has been honored on international tourism forums more than once.
When people hear about Hoi An Ancient Town, they immediately think of rows of tiled-roof houses and bright yellow painted walls that make every street seem to shine. It can also be a quiet journey on a boat down the Thu Bon River, releasing flower lanterns and listening to emotional anecdotes about hundreds of years ago. Even if you love this place very much, you must still have some questions about Hoi An Ancient Town. Then let Anvui Travel take you back in time to look back at the memories of Hoi An in the past – a bustling port city that went through many glorious historical periods, a national pride until now.

1. Where is Hoi An Ancient Town?

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town is located in the lower reaches of the Thu Bon River, in the coastal plain of the central province of Quang Nam, about 30km south of Da Nang City. The ancient town is a blend of Chinese and Japanese architecture, bearing the ancient and quiet features. The beautiful city of Hoi An is considered an ancient town filled with many memories of Vietnam. This ancient town is divided into 9 different wards. The east borders the East Sea, the west borders Dien Ban town, the south borders Duy Xuyen district, and the north borders Dien Ban town and the East Sea.

2. When was Hoi An Ancient Town founded? What is the history of Hoi An Ancient Town?

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An was born in the second half of the 16th century, during the Le Dynasty, and opened the most prosperous development period in the history of this trading port hundreds of years later. With the harmony of many cultures and still exists almost intact to this day.
Thanks to the favorable factors of climate and geography, Hoi An was once a prosperous and bustling international trading port, a meeting place for merchant ships and traders from China, Japan, and Western countries throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Before this period, Hoi An also had traces of the Champa trading port, also known as the Silk Road on the sea.
The history of the formation of the ancient city of Hoi An began in 1527 when Mac Dang Dung took the throne of the Le Dynasty, the Dong Kinh area was under the full control of the Mac Dynasty. In 1533, Nguyen Kim gathered soldiers in the name of the Le Dynasty to fight against the Mac Dynasty. When Nguyen Kim died, his son-in-law, Trinh Kiem took over the Nguyen Kim clan. In 1558, Nguyen Kim’s second son Nguyen Hoang brought his family members and soldiers back to Thuan Hoa to defend.

After 1570, Nguyen Hoang controlled the right to guard Quang Nam, and together with his son Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, he built a citadel, focused on developing the economy of Dang Trong, expanding trade and commerce with foreign countries. From then on, Hoi An became the number one commercial port in Southeast Asia at that time.
After many ups and downs of historical events such as the Trinh Nguyen conflict, Hoi An was still a bustling port with Japanese streets, Chinese streets, etc. After Lord Trinh conquered Quang Nam, Hoi An was devastated, leaving only religious architecture.
Hoi An was only revived 5 years later, but the hustle and bustle of commerce were no longer as before. The Chinese and Vietnamese rebuilt the city from the ruins according to their own architecture, unintentionally causing traces of the Japanese quarter to disappear forever.
During the Nguyen Dynasty, due to the implementation of a closed-door policy and restrictions on foreign trade, Dong Kinh port gradually lost its important position. By 1976 of the 20th century, Quang Nam – Da Nang province was established, Da Nang gradually developed strongly, Hoi An fell into oblivion. It was not until 1980 that it received the attention of Vietnamese scholars and other countries. In 1999, Hoi An was listed as a “World Cultural Heritage” and became attractive to tourists and famous to this day.

3. What does Hoi An mean?

Hoi An Ancient Town

In the past, Westerners called Hoi An by the name Faifo, which means urban area – a trading town with a port. But this was only considered a way of calling, not considered an official name. Hoai Pho was the official name of Hoi An at that time.
The name Hoi An today was known long before that, and it is not known exactly when. During the Le Dynasty, the map Thien Nam Tu Chi Lo Do recorded for the first time the names Hoi An Pho, Hoi An Da, and Hoi An Kieu.

4. In which year was Hoi An Ancient Town recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage?

UNESCO recognized Hoi An Ancient Town as a World Cultural Heritage on December 4, 1999. Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized based on two criteria:

• Hoi An is an outstanding physical manifestation of the combination of multiculturalism through the ages in an international trading port.
• Hoi An is a typical example of a traditional Asian port that has been completely preserved.

5. What is the weather like in Hoi An Ancient Town?

Hoi An Ancient Town

The climate in Hoi An is characterized by a tropical climate of the Central Coast with 4 distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather in Hoi An is hot and humid with a lot of rain and a lot of sunshine, and is less affected by the winter monsoon.

Therefore, the climate in Hoi An is always mild, there will be no cold winter like in the North and no too hot summer like in the South. The climate here is clearly distinguished between the rainy season, the low-rain season and the hot sunny season. In general, the climate in Hoi An is quite mild and pleasant with an average temperature that is not too hot.

At the peak of summer, the temperature is around 28-33°C, which is not too high, while the winter temperature is also quite ideal with a temperature of 18 – 23°C. It can be said that from January to September, the weather is beautiful, the hot sun falls around April-August. From October to November Hoi An often has rain and storms and in December the weather will be a bit chilly but very fresh and pleasant.

6. What to do in Hoi An Ancient Town?

Hoi An Ancient Town

Standing out on the Central Vietnam tourism map, Hoi An ancient town is like a rustic, simple and poetic picture. Regardless of day or night, Hoi An tourism still puts on a different charming beauty. So what to do in Hoi An ancient town? Follow Anvui Travel to check out the following outstanding tourist destinations that cannot be ignored when traveling:

Tan Ky Ancient House
Unique with the architectural style combining 3 cultures: Vietnamese – Chinese – Japanese, built 200 years ago. This used to be the residence of the Le family, the house has many rooms such as: the front for trading and the back for importing goods. Tan Ky Ancient House is on the list of ancient houses honored as national cultural heritage and was chosen as the only place in Hoi An to welcome domestic and foreign heads of state to visit.

Trieu Chau Assembly Hall
Also known as Ong Bon Pagoda, it is considered one of the oldest architectural works in Hoi An ancient town. Possessing a unique architectural style, Trieu Chau Assembly Hall impresses visitors with its sophisticated carvings and sharp motifs on sturdy wooden structures. In particular, the art of embossing patterns with ceramic and porcelain is also applied to create a unique feature that enhances the beauty and creates an artistic character for the work.

Phung Hung Ancient House
This ancient house was built in the 19th century and is more than 100 years old. The owner of the house was a famous wealthy merchant, wishing for his family to always prosper, so he took the name “Phung Hung”. With the special architecture of 3 cultures: Japan – China – Vietnam, the attic is made of many high wooden bars, with a wide corridor surrounding the house, showing the typical Asian features of the house.

Tran Family Temple
Built in 1802 by a mandarin of the Tran family from a large family that migrated from China to Hoi An in the 1700s. The temple was built according to traditional feng shui principles of the Chinese and Vietnamese. This is also one of the famous tourist destinations in Hoi An with its ancient colors and unique architecture.

Cau Pagoda

Cau Pagoda

Considered a bright gem in the heart of Hoi An. Cau Pagoda was built in the late 16th century. Located right in the heart of Hoi An ancient town and across the poetic Hoai River, the Cau Pagoda is a place you cannot miss when traveling to Hoi An. The highlight of the pagoda is the unique roof made of wood decorated with motifs originating from the “land of cherry blossoms”, so it is also known as the Japanese Bridge. With these unique features, the Bridge Pagoda has become an indispensable tourist symbol when mentioning Hoi An.

Museum of Culture and History
Established in 1989, the museum currently displays more than 434 valuable artifacts and is arranged according to different themes, clearly reflecting the development periods of the urban – commercial port of Hoi An over the years.

Hoi An Handicraft Workshop
This place gathers most of the famous traditional handicrafts of Hoi An and Quang Nam such as mat weaving, fabric weaving, pottery making, lacquerware… Visiting the handicraft workshop, visitors will find the peaceful, quiet nostalgic scene of an ancient Vietnamese village. Join Klook to experience the exciting feeling when you can make a colorful lantern with your own hands. Not only can you witness the skillful hands and skillful craftsmanship of the artisans, creating sophisticated and unique handicraft products. In addition, you can also participate in some steps in the process of creating handmade products and buy some products as souvenirs and gifts.

7. When Does Hoi An Lantern Festival Take Place?

Hoi An Lantern Festival

Hoi An Lantern Festival usually takes place on the 14th and 15th of each lunar month, also known as the Full Moon Day. During these days, Hoi An ancient town becomes more poetic and romantic than ever. Every street, every corner, is illuminated by thousands of shimmering lights from glowing lanterns.

8. Images of Hoi An Ancient Town Then and Now

The ancient town of Hoi An in the early 20th century was originally peaceful and ancient, with every street, street corner, moss-covered roof and even the quiet, gentle people. Let’s see the images of Hoi An ancient town then and now with Anvui Travel, which will show you how the memories of the ancient town and the feelings named Faifo have changed over time!

Hoi An Ancient Market

Hoi An Ancient Market

In the early 20th century, Hoi An Ancient Town was known as a major trading port in Southeast Asia. However, Hoi An in the early 20th century was still peaceful and quiet like the people of Hoi An.

Cau Pagoda

Cau Pagoda

Hoi An Cau Pagoda is still a popular tourist destination, a symbol of the Old Town.

Ancient Hoi An Commercial Port

Ancient Hoi An Commercial Port

In the past, Hoi An Market was a large, international market with a wide variety of goods, everything that was lacking elsewhere could be found in Hoi An.

Old Nguyen Thai Hoc Street Corner

Old Nguyen Thai Hoc Street Corner

For many years, Hoi An residents have been accustomed to living with flooding during the rainy season. In the photo is a corner of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in the past. At that time, Hoi An was known as a bustling urban area in Southeast Asia.

Anvui hopes that the knowledge shared above will be useful to you. Don’t forget to visit Anvui Travel’s YouTube channel to see wonderful travel moments. Customers are looking for a professional, affordable tour operator. Don’t hesitate to contact Anvui De Voyage via info@anvuitravel.com or (Hotline): +84 912 683 908! 

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