Hoi-An Travel Guide
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If you go, Hoi An will be one of the highlights of your Vietnam visit. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Hoi An was Vietnam's most important port and trading post, particularly in ceramics. Today it is a quaint old town (844 structures have been designated historical landmarks) still showing the influences of the Chinese and Japanese traders who passed through and settled here. Moreover, it's small enough to cover easily on foot; you can wander through the historic homes and temples on a quiet Saturday afternoon, perhaps stop to lounge in an open-air cafe, gaze at the endless oddities and exotic foods in the market, or take a sampan ride down the lazy river. In the afternoons when school is out, the streets are thronged with skipping children in spotless white shirts. While the city is eagerly courting tourism and your tourist dollars -- meaning there're plenty of pesky vendors and hawkers -- it's still relatively low-key and genuinely friendly.
On the full moon of every month, local shop owners turn off the electricity and hang lanterns bearing their shop's name, and a candlelight lantern procession, complete with a few small floats, makes its way through the Old Town and along the riverfront. It's well worth timing a visit to enjoy the spectacle and the post-processional festivities.
