I’m not one of those people who always adheres to the ‘its best to save the best for last’ philosophy, and that certainly applies with my recent articles about Hoi An’s Assembly Halls.
My intention was to start writing from one side of the historic area of Hoi An and make my way to the other - It just so happens that the Assembly Hall that I’m writing about today was the last one on my list and also my least favourite of the bunch.
If you’re in the process of planning a trip to Hoi An, you’ll probably have read elsewhere that the Cantonese Assembly Hall is the most popular of all the Chinese Assembly Halls and is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in the historic town.
I’m not here to dispute that, these claims are all very true.
Its popularity however is one of the reasons why I think it makes the visiting experience somewhat of a disappointment.
During my time in Hoi An, I showed up at the front door of the Assembly Hall on three separate occasions before I actually went in on the fourth attempt. Each time I visited, there were several large tour groups lined up outside wanting to get in.
On my fourth attempt, I just had to suck it up and wait in line to get in with everyone else.
While its true that I’m not particularly a fan of waiting in lines, I think the major issue was that once you get into the hall, there are so many people inside that it makes it difficult to move around and more importantly enjoy the beauty of the Assembly Hall - and yes, its beautiful.
While the lines, the amount of people inside and the inability to move around freely are issues for most people, the thing that turned me off most was that the Cantonese Assembly Hall is the only tourist destination in Hoi An that prohibits photography.
There are areas within this Assembly Hall where you can take photos, but the shrine area is strictly off-limits with signage all over the place warning people not to take photos.
I’m sure they’re not as strict about their ‘No Photography’ policy as they are at the Sistine Chapel, but they’ve made an effort to ensure that people don’t take photos, so you’ll probably want to respect their wishes.
There are definitely areas within the hall where you can still take some damn beautiful photos, but unfortunately my visit to the hall was a disappointment in this regard and the photos I’m presenting you with today are clearly a reflection of that as they are not up to my personal standards.
Looking on the bright side though, the decorations, architectural design, murals and the rear-garden are stunning and while it may not seem important at the moment, the hall is also home to a really nice set of public washrooms!
Before I start talking about the Assembly Hall, if you’d like to know more about Hoi An or its Overseas Chinese Assembly Halls, I recommend taking a look at my introduction to both:
Quang Trieu Assembly Hall (廣肇會館)
Records indicate that the Quang Trieu Assembly Hall, otherwise known as the “Cantonese Assembly Hall” was constructed in 1885, which would make it over 130 years old today.
Most of what you see today however is the result of a reconstruction project that took place in 1964.
Constructed by the Cantonese (廣東人) people who immigrated to the area for better opportunities, the Assembly Hall is one of the most ornate and most beautiful in Hoi An.
Before we talk about the hall though, I think it’s important to take a minute to talk about what the term “Cantonese” actually means, because it’s actually quite ambiguous.
Historically in English, when we refer to “Canton”, we are referring to a city in Southern China known today as “Guangzhou” (廣州). The word “Cantonese” however not only refers to a specific geographic location, but also a culture and language spoken by an estimated 70 million people around the world.
In terms of the geography, there has been some conflation with the term “Canton” as it was meant to refer to the city known today as “Guangzhou” (廣州), but actually should have actually meant “Guangdong” (廣東), the province of China where the Cantonese language is primarily spoken.
The “Greater Canton” area today consists not only of Guangdong Province, but also neighbouring Guangxi (廣西), Hong Kong (香港) and Macau (澳門).
As one of China’s earliest international trading ports, Guangzhou became the key to trade between China, other parts of Asia and the Western World. Over time its position as a trading powerhouse also helped to ensure that the Cantonese people would spread all over the world, ultimately becoming one of the largest ethnic groups of Overseas Chinese.
Where some people get confused is that when we refer to someone as “Cantonese”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they came directly from “Guangzhou”, but find their ancestry in any of the areas where the Cantonese language (廣東話) is primarily spoken.
While the Cantonese share a language, cuisine and distinct culture of their own, they are not considered to be a separate ethnic group, so they are generally classified under the larger “Han” (漢人) ethnic group and not one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities.
The Cantonese Assembly Hall thus represents all the people of Cantonese origin who hail from Guangzhou, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and throughout the diaspora.
As I mentioned above, the Assembly Hall was constructed in 1885 and was home to a shrine that was originally dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, Thien Hau (天后). With shrines already dedicated to the popular goddess at the All-Chinese Assembly Hall (中華會館) and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (福建會館), the main shrine was later converted into a “Quan Cong” (關公) place of worship.
In 1964, due to damage caused by flooding, the Assembly Hall underwent a period of restoration and much of the interior was changed into what we see today. What this means is that even though the hall was constructed over 130 years ago, most of the interior is only around six decades old.
Today the Cantonese Assembly Hall is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the historic town of Hoi An - located near the Japanese Covered Bridge, the riverfront and some of the best restaurants and coffee shops in town, it is an ideal location for tourists.
The hall is home to the yearly “Nguyen Trieu Festival” (Lantern Festival) on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year Celebrations.
Likewise on June 24th (lunar calendar) the hall comes alive with celebrations honouring the birth of Quan Cong (關公), the god enshrined within the hall. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting during both of these times, you’ll get to experience some of the traditions that the Chinese brought with them to Hoi An and continue to celebrate now.
Design
The layout of the hall is similar to what you’ll have seen around town as it was designed with the traditional Chinese ‘Two Hall’ (兩殿兩廊式) architectural style. What that means is that you’ll find a ‘Front Hall’ (前殿) and a ‘Main Hall’ (正殿), an open-air courtyard (中程) and two covered halls on both the eastern (左護龍) and western (右護龍) sides. Similar to the image below.
While the architectural layout of the hall may seem familiar to some of the other halls around Hoi An, its important to note that at this hall, its on a much grander scale with the addition of a beautiful three-arch front gate (三觀), a front courtyard (前院), a beautiful rear courtyard (後院) and ornate decorations and murals throughout the hall.
Starting with the front gate, the ‘three-entrance’ gate consists of four stone pillars with a two-layered roof that uses beautiful green tiles. The gate is decorated with dragons and flowers with stone lions placed on top of each of the four pillars. Directly in the middle there is a plaque that reads “Cantonese Assembly Hall” (廣肇會館) in Chinese characters.
Interestingly, the ‘Front Hall’, which acts as the main entrance to the Assembly Hall, is probably the most plain-looking part of the hall as it is somewhat lacking in colour.
The unfortunate thing about the amount of people who visit is that you typically get ushered inside and aren’t really able to spend much time checking out the small details. So, even though it’s not as colourful as the rest of the building, it’s the oldest section and the lack of colour, faded stone, roof tiles and dragons on the roof are all a sign of its age.
The interior of the hall has beautifully painted murals on the left and right and the front doors are painted with “Door Gods” (門神) that help to protect the shrine.
To add a bit of colour they have also added locally made red lanterns that hang from the ceiling.
Link: Door Gods (Wiki)
Once you’ve entered the Front Hall you’re automatically met with the courtyard in the middle with the two Guardian Dragon (護龍) wings on your left and right and the Main Hall directly ahead of you.
What’s going to grab your eye right away though is the beautiful ceramic dragon fountain directly in the middle of courtyard, which has western-style standing lamps on all four corners to light it up at night.
One thing that I really appreciated was how it seemed like nature was reclaiming the main hall area with lots of greenery growing on and hanging off of the roofs of both of the wings.
The two wings on the eastern and western side are where ‘Assembly-Hall’-related activities would take place and when inside you’ll only find some murals on the wall with some space for storage. What’s special about the two wings though is that they extend beyond the main hall and each have a shrine room of their own (dedicated to Cantonese ancestors) and then extend back to the rear courtyard.
The read courtyard features a beautifully maintained garden space, as well as another large and beautiful ceramic dragon fountain. From my observation, it seemed like the majority of the visitors were spending most of their time enjoying this area rather than the crowded front sections.
I suppose that’s understandable though because the garden is quite peaceful and is also home to a convenient and well-maintained public restroom, which isn’t all that common around town.
Believe me when I tell you, if you have to use the bathroom when you’re in Hoi An, it can be a bit of an issue.
Like the Front Hall, the exterior of the Main Hall where the shrine is located is somewhat plain as it has faded with time, you’ll want to take note of the two pillars that help to hold up the roof and separate the three different sections of the shrine inside. The green tiles on the roof have faded, but they shine in the sun and the ceramic dragons on either side are quite beautiful.
Quan Cong Shrine (關聖大帝廟)
When the Assembly Hall was originally constructed in 1885, the shrine inside was dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea Thien Hau (天后), but as I mentioned above, Hoi An was already home to a couple of shrines dedicated to her at the All-Chinese Assembly Hall and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. It was later decided that the primary deity within the shine would change to Quan Cong (關聖大帝).
“Quan Cong” just so happens to be one of the most popular Chinese deities and the image of his red face and long beard have spread throughout the world in temples, shrines, Chinese restaurants, etc.
He is also one of the most popular deities found within Cantonese places of worship around the world.
A real life figure, Guan Yu (關於) was a legendary general during the Three Kingdoms (三國) period whose exploits were canonized in the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” (三國演義).
Known for his loyalty, piety, moral integrity, sense of justice and his military genius, legends of his exploits spread throughout China and his achievements were glorified so much that he was deified during the Sui Dynasty (隋朝) sometime between 581-618.
Today he is even worshipped as a ‘bodhisattva’ by Buddhists and as a guardian deity in Chinese Folk Religion and Taoism.
Temples can be found in his honour through China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, South East Asia and wherever the Chinese diaspora has spread. You’ll also find shrines to him located within homes, businesses police stations and Assembly Halls like this one.
The strange thing about Quan Cong worship is that he is sometimes referred to in English as “The God of War” or “The God of Wealth”, but he is actually neither of those - He’s a guardian deity that helps protect people from harm and misfortune. He’s also more-or-less your go-to deity for almost any problem you need spiritual help with.
The confusion about him being the “God of Wealth” is because his image is often placed within businesses - but this is simply because he’s renowned for his honesty and integrity, which is a way that businesses tell people that they’re trustworthy.
A legendary general, he’s rarely ever seen without his “Green Dragon Crescent Blade” (靑龍偃月刀), so it’s easy to see why he’s confused as the “God of War”, but once again, that’s not the case.
He was of course a mighty warrior, but he only went to war in order to restore peace to the land. Thus he is worshipped as a man of peace and someone who protected his home and all those who served under him.
Link: Guan Yu (Wiki)
In terms of this Assembly Hall, its shouldn’t be a big surprise that the Cantonese people would insist on a Quan Cong shrine as he is one of the most popular deities in the Greater-Canton region. As a protector deity, his worship in the Hoi An area would be multi-faceted as he would serve as a protector of the immigrant population while also ensuring that business-related activities went smoothly.
While the shrine was converted to one that is primarily dedicated to Quan Cong, its important to note that the Goddess Thien Hau wasn’t completely evicted when the change took place. Today she sits to the left of Quan Cong while the “God of Wealth” (財神) is enshrined to the right.
The shrine room is quite beautiful, but as I mentioned above, they’re a bit strict about people walking around or getting too close (in addition to taking photos), so I can’t offer too much in terms of photos of the room, which is quite unfortunate.
Even though the shrine area is off-limits for photography, you can still take some really nice photos at this Assembly Hall, so you should definitely take the time to visit.
Yes, it is busier than all the others, but there is good reason for that. If you’re in Hoi An, you should definitely visit this one, but make sure to visit the other Chinese Assembly Halls as well!
Getting There
Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is a 30km drive southeast of neighbouring Da Nang City (峴港市). Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travellers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite convenient. Whether you arrive by air through Da Nang International Airport, by train through Da Nang Station or by coach, you’ll be able to easily get yourself to Hoi An through public or private transport, all of which are quite affordable.
While staying in Vietnam, you should also download the “Grab” app for your phone so that you can easily grab a taxi during your travels without having to worry about getting cheated.
Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An
Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is really easy - just walk everywhere!
The ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that big, and due to so much pedestrian traffic, they’ve blocked the area off from cars, so unless you’re riding a bicycle or a scooter, the best way to get around is on foot.
When you’re ready to start exploring you’ll find that the majority of historic properties, temples, museums and restaurants are located on or between the riverside and Tran Phu Street. What you’ll want to keep in mind though is that exploring the historic properties of Old Town isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket.
The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and gives you access to five sightseeing places. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of the tickets on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining on the next day.
With so many places to visit within the Old Town though, five tickets might not be enough, so you might have to purchase a second set of tickets if you want to fully experience the town.
Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)
The Cantonese Assembly Hall is situated in one of the busiest tourist intersections of Hoi An. Like all the other halls, it is conveniently located on Tran Phu Street but is only a short walk away from the bridge that takes you across the river to the An Hoi Islet as well as the popular Japanese-Covered Bridge.
The area near the hall is a popular one with relaxing coffee shops, retail shops, markets and restaurants. If you arrive at the Assembly Hall when large tourist groups (especially those from China) are lining up to go in, its probably better to grab a coffee and wait a little while. The tour groups never really stay that long and this is one of the Assembly Halls that you’re going to want to enjoy the smaller details if possible.
Address: 176 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
The hall is open from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily.
Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)
