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Hoi An translates as "peaceful meeting place". The town could be viewed in some ways as a place that time forgot. It’s old world charm has had a fascination for tourists for a long time now. Some say if you want to see the real Vietnam from a historic perspective, this is the place to visit. While only a short drive from Danang, (less than 30 mins) it’s historic buildings largely remained unscathed by the Vietnam war.
In 1999 the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.
Most prominent in the city's old town, is its covered "Japanese Bridge" dating from the 16th-17th century. In fact most of the “must see” places in the town are jam packed into only a few streets beginning at the Japanese bridge or Pagoda bridge as it is also known.
There are 5 famous Assembly Halls in Hoi An.
1. Quang Dong Assembly Hall
176 Tran Phu Street
2. Duong Thuong Assembly Hall
64 Tran Phu Street
3. Phuc Kien Assembly Hall – the biggest
46 Tran Phu Street
4. Hai Nam Assembly Hall
10 Tran Phu Street
5. Trieu Chau Assembly Hall
57 Nguyen Duy Hieu
Beyond the Assembly halls, there is this amazing place called:
THE OLD HOUSE OF TAN KI
101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
This place is special for many reasons in addition to its amazing architecture, design and ornaments dating back to the 16th century. It is mostly recognised for its national heritage, as it used to be the place where heads of state from other countries would come to be welcomed to Faifo.
As a tourist they will also show you how they have managed to save their building and magnificent furniture from the floods as they point you to the watermark lines showing how high the waters have come in the building during years when the old town has flooded. However, through Vietnamese resilience and ingenuity by lifting the furniture up into the roof they have managed to keep the building in good condition.
For a good read on all the sites in the town and their history check out this blog https://blog.inspitrip.com/7502/hoi-an-ancient-town-a-guide-to-vietnams-unesco-world-heritage-town/
About your ticket to the UNESCO Ancient town
The UNESCO town visit involves purchasing a ticket at any one of the various entry points to the town. As a tourist you may often look very obvious to these stand holders, so they have been known to call out to you to make sure you have purchased a ticket. The ticket entitles you to enter the buildings and view the various rooms and various presentations. Without the ticket you can only view the buildings from the outside. The ticket is very cheap and well worth the money.
The trick with the ticket is you don't have to visit all the sites in one day. Just make sure you bring it with you as they tear off a portion that belongs to the site you have visited on entry.
If you have done the old town prior and don’t wish to do again, you just tell them this at the counter and they will nod with approval. And then just keep walking!!
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PURCHASE A TICKET JUST TO WALK THE OLD TOWN. It’s only required if you wish to go inside any of the UNESCO sites listed here.
Please email us hellohoianvietnam@gmail.com if you would like to include this into your experience of Hoi An and we will arrange a guide to join you and possibly take you to other places to make your day complete. Allow about 2 hours to do this tour thoroughly and check on times for the cultural dance shows as they vary from season to season.