One of the most popular destinations for domestic travelers here in Taiwan are the various areas known as “Old Streets” (老街) found all over the country. Typically set up in areas known for some past economic glory and often featuring some cool architecture, they’re probably more well-known these days for their food vendors and restaurants.
I’ve become a fan of these historic streets over my decade of living here (more for their history than the food), so it was assumed that when discussions about a trip to Vietnam started, I would be easily sold on spending a few days of our vacation in a village that was more or less like one of Taiwan’s Old Streets on steroids.
If I had no idea where we were going, I would have been sold right away.
I was however already full aware of the place being sold to me.
There are few travelers in Asia these days that aren’t already aware of Hoi An.
The central Vietnam tourist hot spot has been one of the destinations high atop my list of places to visit and if a trip to Vietnam didn’t include a visit to the designated UNESCO World Heritage Village, I would have protested!
For several centuries, Hoi An was one of the most important ports of trade in South East Asia. As the city prospered it also developed into one of the prettiest towns in Vietnam, featuring a fusion of Western, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architectural design.
Amazingly, Hoi An was spared much of the devastation that so many other areas of Vietnam suffered through during the colonial period, various rebellions and the American war. The (relatively) untouched town provides an amazing window to the past and allows tourists to feel like they’ve travelled back in time.
Even if you’re not a history nerd like I am, there’s something for everybody in Hoi An and anyone who visits is able to appreciate this chill little town which is full of great cafes, amazing food and things to see and do.
If you’re not already sold on visiting, you should also know that Hoi An is known as the birthplace of one of the worlds most famous sandwiches - Banh Mi - and is home to a restaurant that the late great Anthony Bourdain described as the king of them all.
Before we talk about some of the things you can see and do when you visit, we should probably talk a little about its complicated history.
I’ll try to be brief, but it’s important that you understand why Hoi An was so important to Vietnam (and the rest of the world) for so long and how it was able to survive.
A Brief History of Hoi An
The port city of Hội An in central Vietnam was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and in the two decades since has transformed from a quiet town into a bustling tourist destination and a hotspot for historical preservation.
Centuries before, Hoi An was one of the country’s most important ports of call and was a popular stop for the Portuguese, Spanish, French, British, Dutch, Japanese, Indian and especially Chinese traders - many of whom stuck around and left their mark on the town.
Why was everyone coming to Hoi An you might ask?
Well, from the 15th to 18th centuries, the warehouses in the town were filled to the brim with highly-sought commodities such as high-grade silk, fabrics, paper, porcelain, Areca nuts, peppercorns, Chinese medicine, elephant tusks, beeswax, mother-of-pearl and lacquer.
Business was so good that the foreign traders who originally only visited on a seasonal basis each year eventually decided to make their presence permanent by constructing their own warehouses and leaving full time representatives in the area.
This is where the melting pot of nationalities started to have a lasting effect on the landscape of Hoi An, especially with regard to its architecture.
Unfortunately, as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever.
When the Tây Sơn peasant rebellion overthrew the ruling Nguyễn Dynasty in the eighteenth century, Hoi An was targeted by the rebels (as it was perceived as a major source of economic power for the ruling elite) and the city was torched and left to rot.
Despite Hoi An’s importance to the international community, the political situation in Vietnam became deplorable for most of the locals who reaped little benefit from the economic might of the city.
The Tay Son rebellion easily gained broad support from peasants, ethnic minorities, merchants townspeople who were attracted to a message of seizing land from the wealthy and redistributing it to the poor with equal rights, justice and liberty.
Even though the Tay Son were able to rally the poor and had some military success, their reign over Vietnam was ultimately short lived. The French, Chinese and the remnants of the Nguyen family cooperated to restore the Nguyen Dynasty to power under the leadership of Emperor Gia Long, who was able to unite the country under a single authority for the first time.
Link: Nguyễn dynasty (Wiki)
By the turn of the nineteenth century, Hoi An started to come back to life and was transformed into the historic town that we see today. Unfortunately by that time, the Thu Bồn River had already silted up making the port inaccessible to larger boats which sent the majority of international trade to nearby Đà Nẵng (峴港).
With Hoi An’s declining importance as an international port of trade, it later became an administrative centre for the French Colonialists and then eventually a backwater town that was amazingly left untouched by the changes (and devastation) that took place around the rest of the country.
The Hoi An of today features a harmonious blend of Japanese, Chinese and French Colonial architectural influences blended together with local Vietnamese design, making the town quite unique and worthy of its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the rest of Vietnam tends to be hectic and noisy, Hoi An maintains its laid back ambience with its historic buildings, museums, cafes, restaurants and bar. Tourists who visit the beautiful town are able to relax and enjoy warm days that turn into lantern-lit nights where you’re afforded the luxury of exploring while enjoying the classics of Bach, Mozart and Chopin through the street speakers.
“Hoi An”, which means ‘peaceful meeting place’ (會安) in Chinese certainly lives up to its name.
What to See and Do while in Hoi An
Currently, there are around thirty historic properties in Hoi An that have been restored and opened up for tourism which includes museums, temples, ancient family homes and former warehouses and places of business.
All of these sites are accessible to the public with the purchase of a ‘Hoi An Ancient Town ticket’ but apart from these buildings there is so much more to see and do in Hoi An that you’ll easily be able to fill up a couple of days on your trip.
As I’ve already mentioned, Hoi An is renowned for its coffee shops, bars, restaurants, night market, spas and cooking classes in addition to its romantic streets and historic sites, which makes a trip to the city enjoyable for history lovers and for those who just want to relax.
It’s also important to note that Hoi An is considered to be the ‘Banh Mi’ capital of Vietnam, so if you’re a big fan of Vietnamese-style sandwiches (and you should be), you’re going to be spoiled for choice as you’ll find street vendors and restaurant all over town giving their take on the sandwich.
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.
Fortunately, the ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An which has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that large, 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 and enjoy the town is on foot.
What you’ll want to keep in mind is that exploring the historic properties of ‘Old Town’ isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket at one of the tourist information centers. Technically, even to walk into the designated pedestrian area, you’re supposed to have already purchased a ticket, but with the amount of tourists flooding the area from all directions, this has become rather difficult to enforce.
The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and provides access to the ‘Old Town’ and FIVE sightseeing destinations. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of them on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining with the rest of time in the area.
With so many places to visit though, five tickets might not be enough, so if you’re like me, you might end up having to purchase a second set of tickets to better experience the town.
Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)
Museums
Hoi An is home to several museums where you can lose yourself in the various stages of the city’s development over the past thousand or more years. There is no additional cost for admission to any of these museums, so all you’ll need is one of the five tickets on your Old Town pass to get in.
Hoi An Museum - 2,000 years of local history under one roof.
Museum of Trade Ceramics - A collection of ceramics from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Museum of Folklore - A collection of local traditional folk arts.
Museum of Sa Huynh Culture - A collection of Sa Huynh and Champa artifacts.
For more information about Hoi An’s museums, click the link below:
Link: Hoi An’s Museums (Hidden Hoi An)
The Japanese Bridge (日本橋)
The Japanese Bridge serves as the symbolic image of Hoi An and is probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in town. The picturesque four century old bridge is probably where you’re going to take quite a few of your tourist photos, so you’ll want to make sure to visit more than once during your trip.
Pro-trip: Make sure to visit the bridge during the day, but also go back during the night for some more photos when the lanterns on the bridge are lit up.
Overseas Chinese Assembly Halls (華人會館)
The prevalence of so many ‘Overseas Chinese Assembly Halls’ is one of the unique characteristics of Hoi An - These halls, where the various communities of Chinese immigrants have gotten together to network, worship and do business over the past few centuries are not uncommon throughout South East Asia (and around the world), but in Hoi An you’ll find six of them all relatively close to each other.
The Chinese Assembly Halls account for a large portion of the historic buildings that tourists visit while in town and are beautifully constructed using the traditional architectural design of their homeland.
Each of the halls features a place of worship with popular deities from the region where the large immigrant populations came from.
For more information about the Chinese Assembly Halls in Hoi An, with links to each individual hall, check out the article linked below.
Old Houses
Hoi An is home to hundreds of historic buildings that are worthy of appreciation, but the town continues to be a ‘work in progress’ with regard to restoration efforts. Still, with what is currently available and open to the public for tourism, you’re not likely to be able to see everything unless you spend a few weeks in the area.
That being said, in addition to Pagodas and Assembly Halls, there are a number of historic homes that have been opened to public and are popular attractions for tourists.
A friendly reminder: These homes don’t always require admission tickets, but be warned that some of them are used to sell local arts and crafts and if you don’t purchase something, you may be asked for a donation.
The Lanterns of Hoi An
Often referred to as “The City of Lights”, Hoi An has become renowned for its night views as the streets are lit at night with thousands of colourful silk lanterns. Whether you’re walking around town, dining in a restaurant or enjoying one of the various bars or coffee shops, the lanterns are always going to be there lighting up the night, making for a romantic atmosphere.
Not only are you able to enjoy the beautiful lanterns placed on the streets of the historic area of town, but you can also visit workshops where the handmade lanterns are put on display and are available for purchase (Anywhere from 100,000 - 500,000 VND). In fact, for most of those who visit the Hoi An night market, one of the busiest stops is in front of the lantern stalls where people set up impromptu photoshoots while others are busy choosing a beautiful souvenir to take home.
Link: Lantern Shopping in Hoi An (Hidden Hoi An)
Traditional Markets, Night Markets and Street Food
What would a trip to Vietnam be without a stop by one of the colorful and rambunctious food markets?
Walking through one of the hectic markets is almost a necessity when traveling through the country as the experience of watching vendors battle for customers selling anything from fresh meat, vegetables, fruit and noodles.
The sight and smell of such exotic vegetables and fruit is something that hypnotizes almost every tourist.
Working hand in hand with these markets, you’ll find street food vendors close-by where you’re given the opportunity to sample some of the local delicacies that Hoi An is famous for - From Banh Mi to Bánh Bao Bánh Vac, you’ll find a wide variety of food available near Hoi An’s traditional markets as well as throughout the city.
If you’re looking for markets, Hoi An is home to a couple:
Hoi An Central Market - located within the old town.
Chợ Tân An Market - located on the outskirts of the old town.
Ba Le Market - located between the old town and the beach.
The largest of the two is obviously the Central Market, which is located between Tran Phu and the riverside and is one of the busiest places in town. You’ll find vendors set up catering to local residents and restaurants but also stalls selling souvenirs and local arts and crafts.
Link: The Complete Guide to Hoi An’s Markets (Hidden Hoi An)
One of the highlights of Hoi An’s nightlife is a visit to the popular night market across the river on An Hoi island - Open from around 5pm to 11pm daily, the night market is home to vendors selling a wide variety of local dishes (the most popular apparently banana crepes) as well as touristy souvenirs, arts & crafts and clothes.
The three-hundred meter long night market is located on Nguyen Huang St. and tends to be quite busy at night, so if you plan on visiting be prepared to get up close and personal with your fellow tourists while navigating the market.
When you get tired of the night market, you’ll find various bars where you’ll be able to grab a seat, listen to some live music and enjoy the beautiful view of Hoi An across the river.
When it comes to food, no matter where you go in Vietnam, you’re going to find some amazing things to eat. That being said, Hoi An is home to quite a few local dishes that you absolutely have to try when you’re in town.
Obviously you’re able to get Banh Mi everywhere you go in Vietnam, but Hoi An is regarded as the spiritual homeland of the popular sandwich, so you’d do well to sample it once, twice or many times while you’re in town.
There are arguments a to where you’ll find the best version, it seems like the most popular Banh Mi in town (thanks to the late, great Anthony Bourdain) is the Banh Mi Phuong restaurant in the heart of the Old Town.
Roadside skewers by the Central Market
Here are some other dishes that you should try when you’re in town:
Bánh Bao Bánh Vac - Hoi An’s popular White Rose Dumplings.
Mì Quảng - A popular and very fragrant local noodle dish.
Cơm Gà - Hoi An’s answer to Hainan Chicken
Cao Lầu - A noodle dish that you’ll only find in Hoi An.
Bánh bột lọc - Bite-sized glutenous rice and pork dumplings
Hoành thánh chiên - large fried wontons topped with chili and peanut sauces.
Sticky rice balls - Found on the streets in town, these rice balls are chewy and delicious.
Chè Soup - A sweet chilled soup to help cool you off and give you the energy to explore.
Link: Hoi An Specialties: The Best Local Vietnamese Food (Hidden Hoi An)
My Son Sanctuary
One of the most popular trips outside of Hoi An is to the My Son Sanctuary, the ruins of an ancient Hindu kingdom that once controlled much of Vietnam, Cambodia and beyond.
When you’re in Hoi An you’ll find places all over town advertising tours of the sanctuary, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour, which really only takes a few hours and typically starts in the early hours of the morning allows you to enjoy the nearly two-thousand year old ruins and still gets you back in town in time to enjoy breakfast.
If you’re in Hoi And for a few days, a visit to the My Son Sanctuary is highly recommended.
Link: My Son Sanctuary
Activities Outside of Hoi An
Let’s assume that you’ve planned to spend a week or more in Hoi An and you’ve had your fill of checking out all the historic areas of the city and have already taken a tour of My Son - What else is there to do
You’re in luck, one of the ways that the local government has attempted to diversity tourist activities and reduce the congestion within the Old Town is by promoting activities in areas nearby which include trips to the beaches, cycling tours, motorcycle tours, kayaking, palm basket boat rides, lantern boat rides, cooking classes and many more.
If you’d like more information about what else you can do while you’re in the area, click the link below:
Link: Activities and Tours in and Around Hoi An Old Town (Hidden Hoi An)
Getting to Hoi An
Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is roughly a 30km drive southeast of neighboring Da Nang City. Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travelers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite easy and 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.
How you get to Hoi An really depends on where you’re coming from, what time of the day you arrive and how much you’re willing to spend.
If you’re arriving in Da Nang by train from another part of Vietnam, you could easily hop on a bus to save some money - Unfortunately if you arrive in town after 6:00pm, that option won’t be available to you.
Link: How to Get From Da Nang to Hoi An on Bus 1 (Hidden Hoi An)
We flew directly from Taiwan to Da Nang Airport on a cheap flight, arriving at around 7:30pm. We didn’t have the option of taking the bus, but my travel partners weren’t really interested in taking one anyway. We had already booked a private car which picked us up at the airport, took care of our luggage, gave each of us a bottle of water and delivered us directly to where we were staying.
Even if you haven’t booked a car prior to your arrival, Da Nang Airport as well as the train station will have an ample amount of taxis available that will take you to Hoi An.
The drive from Da Nang to Hoi An takes around 30-45 minutes and costs between $15-20 USD, which is quite cheap considering the convenience of being delivered directly to where you’ll be staying while you’re in town.
Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An
While in Vietnam, you should download the “Grab” app for your phone, which is basically South East Asia’s Uber, so that you can easily grab a taxi or motorcycle during your travels without having to worry about confusion or being taken for a ride. Likewise you’ll probably want to get Vietnam’s native “FastGo” app which performs the same role, but offers an additional option in case all the Grab drivers are busy (which in Hoi An is common).
Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is relatively easy as most people tend to walk or ride bicycles. How you explore the area is up to you, but we found it convenient to make use of the bicycles provided by our home stay to ride into town where we’d park them and set off to explore.
Even though Hoi An has become one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, if you compare it to the rest of the country, its still a pretty chill place where you can enjoy some hip cafes, great food, historic buildings, beaches and a lot more.
Sure, you’re going to have to share your experience with a bunch of other tourists, but that shouldn’t really hinder your experience in the historic town.
A visit to Hoi An is what you make of it - It can be a relaxing experience where you take in some history and chill in cafes or it can be one where where you party hard all night and enjoy the beaches during the day.
No matter what you type of experience you’re looking for, you’ll be able to stuff your face with great food and enjoy beautiful lantern-lit streets at after dark.
In Hoi An you’ll find history on almost every corner in town but one of the secrets of the success of the area is that you’ll also find some of the hippest artists, musicians and young entrepreneurs in the country. There’s really something for everyone in Hoi An, so if you have a chance to visit, you shouldn’t pass it up.
Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)
