Posted on
September 16, 2025
in
Trip Ideas
The ancient town of Hoi An, Vietnam was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. This midpoint between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City dates back to the 1st Century. By the 1800s it was sought out by Japanese and Chinese merchants as an important center of trade. The Japanese and Chinese influences are still present there today, and can easily be observed in a visit to the Old Heritage Town with the purchase of admission tickets to cultural and historical sites of one's choice, including the Japanese Bridge and the historic houses mentioned below. You don't need to pay for admission to the nearby white-sanded beach, Cua Dai, a short cyclo, taxi, or rented bicycle ride away.
Catsholiday visited and reported that "you can easily walk around the whole town and you do have to walk as cars are banned in the main town centre which makes it much easier though no less crowded as motor bikes are not banned and go quite fast round the little streets. There are a fair number of tourists but somehow they do not dominate the place." Garymarsh6 observed in 2009 that "there are many old wooden houses in the town and we visited the oldest traders house that has been lived in by the same family since the 1500’s." Unfortunately, some of these wooden houses are in danger of collapse as recently reported in the Viet Nam News. Their restoration has been slowed by a funding crisis.
Photos of Hoi An below by eyesofthisworld.
Flood levels over the years in the first floor hallway of one of the old homes in Hoi An.
Incense coils in a temple.
Pond in the courtyard of a temple.
View across the river to a less historical part of town.
Lanterns for sale during the 2011 Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Days
Cua Dai beach, a stunning respite when exposure to too much culture warrants some time in the sun and sand.
Posted by Nik’sMom (Terre Grilli)