Hoi An

Hoi An is an old trading town on the Thu Bon river. From the 15th to the 19th century it was a port where Japanese, Chinese and European merchants met, and its old buildings survived so well that UNESCO inscribed the town in 1999.

It is known for its quiet streets and yellow houses, its Chinese assembly halls and the covered Japanese Bridge from the 16th century, restored in 2024. In the evening thousands of coloured lanterns light the streets and riverbank, and candles float on the water.

Hoi An is a town for walking slowly, and cars are kept out of most of the old town's streets. Its tailors are famous for making clothes in a day or two, and around it lie vegetable gardens and the Cam Thanh water-coconut forest, explored in round basket boats.

It is about 45 minutes by car from Da Nang. Many visit for the day, but a night there gives you the calm of the morning and the lights of the evening.