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Hoi An is located in the lower section of Thu Bon River, Quang Nam province. It is a famous tourist city named "Hoi An Ancient Town".
Coming to Hoi An, you have a chance to immerse yourself in the traditional cultural space of old craft villages such as Kim Bong carpentry village, Thanh Ha pottery village, and Phuoc Kieu bronze casting village.
Hoi An ancient town flaunts traditional architectural styles and relics such as the Fujian Assembly Hall (Hoi Quan Phuc Kien), the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Quan Cong Temple, and the Tran Family Home.
High-rise dishes like Cao Lau, Quang noodles, and Banh Xeo are also factors that attract many people to this town.
Tourists Experience Cyclo to Explore Hoi An Ancient Town
The best time to travel to Hoi An is from February to April every year, with little rain and a pleasant climate. Avoid summer (from May to September) because the temperature is so high. The rainy season is worst from October to November with heavy rain which often results in a bad flood.
You should visit Hoi An on the 14th day of the Lunar month to attend the special night in the old town. To celebrate this occasion, Hoi An people usually hang a lot of red lanterns across the street. Not electric lamps but the lanterns and moonlight will light up all the old town.
Built-in the late 16th century, the Japanese Covered Bridge has been an outstanding site of Hoi An for years. In the middle of the bridge stands a small temple dedicated to Huyen Thien Dai De.
The bridge has a unique roof with decorative textures and motifs expressing a harmonious combination of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Western architectural styles.
The bridge connects Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Tran Phu streets, crossing a creek flowing into the Thu Bon River.
Japanese Covered Bridge
Legend has it that the forerunner of the Assembly Hall is a small shrine dedicated to the Thien Hau Thanh Mau statue (the goddess who protects sea traders from dangers) found on the coast of Hoi An in 1697.
Through many restoration times with the main contribution of the Fujian Chinese Congregation living in the town, the Assembly Hall has become more and more splendid, contributing to embellishing the face of Hoi An ancient urban architecture.
Location: 46 Tran Phu Street.
The Assembly Hall was built in 1845 by the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation to worship Ma Yuan who is believed to have ensured their traveling on the sea was smooth and convenient.
The Assembly Hall has special value for architectural structures with intricately carved wooden frames, motifs, incense bases, and beautiful embossed porcelain.
Location: 92B Nguyen Duy Hieu street.
The Assembly Hall was built by the Cantonese Chinese Congregation in 1885, initially to worship Thien Hau Thanh Mau and Confucius. After 1911, it was changed to worship Quan Cong and Tien Hien of the congregation.
The proper use of wood and stone materials in the load-bearing structure and decorative details has brought the Assembly Hall a unique appearance.
Location: 176 Tran Phu Street.
The Tran Family Home and Chapel was built in 1802 by a Mandarin of the Tran family (a large family from China who immigrated to Hoi An in the 1700s). Covering an area of about 1500 m2, the house was designed following the traditional feng-shui principles of the Chinese and Vietnamese.
Getting inside, you will see a family altar and a display of the relics related to the family through generations.
Location: 21 Le Loi Street.
The museum was established in 1989 to preserve original artifacts and valuable materials of the Hoi An people through periods. Until now, 212 historic items in porcelain, iron, paper, and would have been kept and displayed here.
Here you will learn about the development stages of the port city through periods: from Sa Huynh culture (1,000 BC–200 AD), Cham culture (2nd - 15th century) to the Dai Viet and Dai Nam culture (15th - 19th century).
Location: 13 Nguyen Hue Street.
Built nearly 200 years ago, the Tan Ky house has a typical architectural style of Hoi An townhouse, a perfect example of an 18th-century merchant's house.
The materials of the house were made by local carpenters and masonry which created a particular style, elegant and cozy. Its interiors are divided into different compartments each has its function.
The back of the house is connected to the river wharf to import and export goods. The goods were then moved to the front of the house to sell.
On February 17, 1990, the Tan Ky house was granted a National Historical & Cultural Relic.
Old House of Tan Ky
Coming to this workshop, you will get to see almost all the traditional handicrafts of Hoi An and Quang Nam province. Mat weaving, fabric weaving, pottery, or lacquer are all displayed here.
You will find a peaceful scene of a Vietnamese village and witness the skillful hands of the artisans creating unique and sophisticated products. You can participate in some stages of the crafting process and buy some products for souvenirs.
Location: 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.
Cua Dai is a gorgeous coastline with beautiful white sand, clear water, and small waves. Fresh and delicious seafood stalls with cheap prices are always available for a hungry stomach after swimming. Going to Cua Dai beach at night is also a good idea because at that time the beach is quiet and romantic.
Location: 5 km east of Hoi An ancient town.
Coming to An Bang beach, you will feel the wonderful freshness as walking along the sandy slope under pleasant sunshine and then admire the pristine twilight on the sea.
The beach is located in Cam An ward, 3 km east of Hoi An old town.
It is a fine experience to join a boat tour along the Thu Bon River. The two sides of the river have beautiful dunes, picturesque fields, and mountains. Especially, sunset on Thu Bon River can make all visitors fall in love.
Thu Bon River from above
Location: Depart from the boat station on Bach Dang Street, pass a section of Hoai River, and then to Thu Bon River.
The Kim Bong Carpentry Village is located in Cam Kim commune, Hoi An. The village is most famous for its traditional woodworking products (including cabinet-making and shipbuilding).
Since its establishment in the 15th century, Kim Bong craftsmen have contributed their skills to many projects; the most well-known one is the Hue Imperial Citadel.
Coming to this woodworking village, visitors can see the many stages of crafting sophisticated handicraft products.
Location: From the Hoi An pier, it takes 10 minutes to get there by boat across the Thu Bon River.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Thanh Ha was a wealthy village, well-known for ceramic and terracotta items that were wholesaled throughout the central provinces of Vietnam. The pottery of the village originated from Thanh Hoa province in the North.
Their main products are utensils for daily life such as cups, bowls, jars, and pots... with many different styles and colors. Especially, their products are lighter than other similar pottery products.
Location: 30 minutes by boat from Hoi An pier.
Cu Lao Cham consists of 7 small islands: Hon Lao, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con, Hon Tai, Hon Dai, Hon Mo, Hon La, and Hon Ong. Cu Lao Cham stands out for its biodiversity, natural forests, beautiful beaches, coral reefs, and many valuable aquatic species.
It is an interesting experience to spend a night in Cu Lao Cham. Rent a tent (50,000VND) and pay an overnight stay fee of 20,000VND.
Location: Tan Hiep commune, 18 km east of Cua Dai beach. You can take a 30-minute high-speed canoe at Cua Dai port or a 2-hour wooden boat at Bach Dang wharf.
Cu Lao Cham Island
Hoi An ancient town, though small, comes with an extremely rich culinary culture. Below is a list of delicious dishes that you should not miss to enjoy when coming to this land:
Hoi An Chicken Rice is made with a special cooking process, creating a dish with a remarkable taste that is different from any other chicken rice.
A chicken part is boiled then cut or torn into smaller slices, seasoned with salt, pepper, chili, sugar, and Vietnamese coriander. Combine perfectly with the tasty chicken slices is golden rice pilaf.
The rice is also special as it is cooked with chicken broth and a bit of fresh turmeric to make a glossy yellow color. The side dish includes sliced onions, sour papaya, Tra Que herbs, and a bowl of chicken broth to add to the flavor of the chicken. To create the familiar spicy element in Central Vietnam cuisine, chili sauce is a must-have and is poured evenly over the dish.
Some of the famous restaurants in the old town you can come to enjoy chicken rice: Ba Buoi chicken rice (26 Phan Chau Trinh), Ba Huong chicken rice (48 Le Loi), Ba Minh chicken rice (20 - 22 Dao Duy Tu).
Cao Lau is a typical noodle dish of the city of Hoi An. It is said that Cao Lau appeared in Hoi An in the 17th century. At that time, this dish was commonly eaten by traders and they had to have it upstairs to watch out for their goods. That resulted in the name "Cao Lau" which means "upstairs delicacy" – the delicacy eaten upstairs.
Hoi An's Cao Lau has a unique and authentic flavor that you should not miss when being there. The noodles are made from rice which has been soaked in lye water, giving them a texture and color that sets the dish apart from other Vietnamese noodle dishes. The pork is marinated in five-spice powder, sugar, pepper, salt, garlic, and soy sauce.
Hoi An's Cao Lau and Hoi An Chicken Rice
A bowl of Cao Lau typically consists of sliced pork and greens on a bed of rice noodles. A small amount of broth made from pork bones boiled with onions or shallots is then poured over the dish to make it wet. Finally, it is topped with some crispy squares, lettuce, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. Cao Lau is best when mixed with lime and chili.
It is very easy to find Cao Lau in Hoi An, from sidewalks to restaurants on Tran Phu Street, the most famous ones are Ba Be and Trung Bac restaurant.
Not luxury restaurants or eye-catching signs, the small bakery located on Phan Chu Trinh Street includes only a glass cabinet full of food, baking ovens, and a few sets of tables and chairs. The first impression of any diner who comes to Phuong Bread is the excitement but also very simple.
Here can be called the capital of bread because you will be spoiled for choosing different types of fillings from cheese, pork bologna, pâté, eggs, ham, char siu (Chinese barbecued pork), chicken... mixed with vegetables such as cucumber, pickles, basil, peppers, onions...
The contents are then topped with a restaurant's special sauce. The balance between the amount of meat, vegetables, and seasoning is the secret to the perfect flavor of Phuong bread.
Dumplings and cauldron cakes are two typical cakes of Hoi An that are usually eaten together on a plate. Due to the small shape and white colors like roses, cauldrons,s, and dumplings are also called White roses.
Dumplings and Cauldron Cakes
The difference between the two cakes is their filling. The dumplings' filling is pureed fresh shrimp mixed with salt, pepper, onions, and a few other spices. The cauldron has some more ingredients such as sliced pork, mushroom, and onion leaf. Both types of filling are wrapped with a thin layer of rice dough and steamed.
Address: White Rose Restaurant on Nhi Trung Street. Here, you can see the restaurant's elaborate making process.
Dap cake consists of a layer of soft rice paper in the middle of 2 layers of crispy rice paper. The cake is usually eaten with anchovy fish sauce and fried onions. You can add some chili if you like to eat spicily. Dap cake is perfectly combined with stir-fried mussels with some herbs or boiled pork and raw vegetables.
A bite of dap cake brings both crunchy and soft stuff, with the freshness of stir-fried mussels, and a strong aroma of sea anchovies and fried onion. This unique taste, both salty and sweet will surely be one of the most memorable flavors of Hoi An.
Sweet soup is a popular dish in Hoi An. You can easily find lots of street vendors with their mobile carts selling sweet soup. Below are some tasty sweet soups you should not miss:
Banh Beo is a simple cake made from rice powder steamed in a small cup, topped with minced shrimp, pork, onions, and deep-fried pork lard. A course of Banh Beo comes with 6-10 cups placed on a tray along with the diluted fish sauce.
When eating Banh Beo, a "bamboo knife", which is a blade-shaped bamboo is used instead of a spoon.
Quang noodle is a specialty of Quang Nam province. At first sight, Quang noodles are almost like Cao Lau, but just once you taste them, you will see that these are two completely different dishes.
Quang noodle comes with flat white noodles mixed with shrimp, pork, quail egg, and vegetables then topped with fried peanuts. Other versions come with beef, chicken, frog, eel, and fish instead of pork. A small amount of broth is then poured over the content just enough to make it wet.
Hoi An has many long-standing famous dishes, originating from different countries, and a highlight that can be mentioned is wonton. Wonton is a dish initiated from Guangdong province, China, and is now quite popular in many East Asian countries.
Although originating in China, over time, wonton has been gradually "transformed" by local people to better suit Vietnamese taste. And do not know when, wonton has become a familiar dish, associated with the ancient land of Hoi An.
The filling of wonton is usually made from pork, shrimp, wood ear, green onion... All are finely minced and mixed with pepper, salt, and sugar. The filling is then wrapped in a thin layer of rice dough. There are two popular ways to enjoy wonton: wonton soup (which can be eaten with noodles) and fried wonton. Each version brings its own delicious taste.
Address: Van Loc restaurant on Tran Phu street, 26 Thai Phien Restaurant, Mr. Dung - 14, Ba Trieu street.
Hoi An pancakes are genuine specialties of Hoi An. The main ingredient of Banh Xeo is shrimp, meat, and bean sprouts. The sauce is boiled soy sauce mixed with sesame seeds, ground peanuts, and pickles. Pancakes here are served with raw vegetables and cost 10,000 VND/cake.
Address: Gieng Ba Le Restaurant - 45/51 Tran Hung Dao.
Walk around the old town in the early morning or late at night.
Hoi An is interesting in the sun up with quiet and peaceful streets, fewer tourists, and no electric light. At that time, you can see how the people of Hoi An prepare to start a new day.
The old city is noiseless at night time. It is a good time for a walk through the pure alleys of the old town and find some night restaurants. Head over to the central footbridge and then to An Hoi islet where you will find many bars and cafes serving up ice-cold beers or other drinks.
Hoi An is famous for its textile industry and it is easy to find amazing tailors all over town. You can bring your design, and choose textiles to make your personalized creations. The time and price depend on the complications of your clothes.
Get a suit made
If the number of orders is not many, the tailor can make your clothes in just a few hours. However, you will normally need to leave around three days to a week to get your clothes made.
Check out some garment shops: Thu Thuy Shop (60 Le Loi), Yaly (358 Nguyen Duy Hieu), A Dong Silk (40 Le Loi), and Bao Khanh (101 Tran Hung Dao).
Hoi An is well-known for lovely locally-made products and you can shop for these things while walking on the street, in the main central market, or handicraft villages on the outskirts of the town.
The lanterns here are very beautiful and collapsible, so it is suitable for souvenirs. Hoi An shoes can also be made for souvenirs. Similar to clothing stores, many shoe stores accept fast-making. Other things to buy: Silk, wood carving, embroidery, stone...
You can take a tour of a local craft village to learn about the historical and cultural background behind the making of these items.
You are recommended to join a cooking class to learn all about how to make some local dishes. A class typically includes a tour of the local market to buy the ingredients used for some of the dishes that you will get to prepare. Some dishes often chosen are pho noodles, spring rolls, and Banh Xeo.
Cooking class in Hoi An
One of the famous cooking schools is the Guoan Restaurant and Cooking School. Here you can sign up for a class or just order something to eat.
The Hoi An Silk Village is on the outskirts of the old town where you get to check out the ancient weaving techniques.
The village is just one kilometer from the city but it is a quaint village with homes built in the traditional style. You get to meet the village's artisans to learn how to make beautiful silk pieces.
You can even help them to feed the silkworms and unravel their cocoons.
The traditional silk items here make for great gifts and souvenirs.
Vietnam is famous worldwide for its delicious coffee and Hoi An contributes to this fame with its brews. Hoi An people like to start their new day with a cup of coffee on a small table along the roadside.
The old town has various coffee shops offering tasty drinks and a nice view of the river. Some shops even roast their beans and serve you some of the best espressos in the city.
My Son Sanctuary is the Cham Pa temple relic complex built from the 4th to the 13th century. 45 km west of Hoi An, this area is located in a valley of about 2 km in diameter, surrounded by mountains and hills.
This used to be the place to hold rituals as well as the tomb area of the kings of the ancient Cham dynasty. In 1999, the My Son Sanctuary was awarded a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
My Son Sanctuary
This complex has more than 70 temples and towers sprawling over 140 hectares. The buildings bear many sculptural architectural styles typical for each historical period of the Champa kingdom.
Walking around the complex, you will see 6 categories of styles: the very first ancient style to Hoa Lai, Dong Duong, My Son, Po Nagar, and Binh Dinh people's style. The architectural sculptures in this relic are strongly influenced by Hinduism.
Hoi An is an old city surrounded by lush emerald-green countryside. You can sign up for a cycling or trekking tour to discover the rice paddies, hills, and dainty villages.
One of the most interesting villages to spend a visit is Tra Que Village which is well-known for its delicious fruit and vegetables. Most of the food that you eat in Hoi An is grown here.
On the way to the village, you can visit Water Wheel offering cooking classes where you can learn how the local produce is used. You can join your hands with the farmers to grow, soil, fertilize, and harvest the vegetables.
Referring to Hoi An, people will immediately think of the old town - old houses with moss-covered roofs and unique architectural works of great spiritual significance to the residents. One of them is Quan Cong Temple - a unique tourist destination of Hoi An.
Quan Cong is located at 24 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An ancient town. The temple was built in the 17th century, the period of the most prosperous trade of Hoi An commercial port. Many Chinese traders came here to trade and chose Hoi An as their second hometown.
As living time, they built architectural works to serve their spiritual life and Quan Cong is one of them. The architecture of the temple is considered to be the most typical among the temples and shrines in Hoi An.
One of the things that creates an attractive Hoi An is its delicious barbecue. If you walk along the north bank of the Thu Bon River after dark, you will find many small charcoal grills selling tasty barbecued skewers. Late night is always a great time to enjoy street food meals of spicy barbecue. Just stop at a grill, order some juicy meat and mouthwatering vegetables, and taste.
The menu is quite varied with different options including beef, pork, prawns, and chicken. The skewers come with herbs and some rice papers to wrap around the contents. The rolls are perfectly accompanied by a spicy peanut sauce mixed with sesame seeds.
Among the unsettled tourist destinations in the central part of Vietnam, Hoi An ancient town is like a rustic, simple, and poetic picture. Whether it is day or night, Hoi An attracts people with its different charms.
Along with the cultural values through outstanding buildings, Hoi An reserves a rather enormous intangible cultural heritage. The traditional customs, beliefs, folk arts, cultural festivals, and special dishes along with the romantic natural landscape make Hoi An a must-visit place.
Thank you for following up, Asia Tour Deals hope it helps you. Hope to see you soon in Hoi An to relax and explore the culture and people here.
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