Hoi An, a place closely related to the remarkable past of the cultures interference: Vietnamese - Japanese - Chinese, is a city linked to the important commercial harbor of South-East Asia during centuries. The cultural interference is the reason why Hoi An is recorded on the list of the world cultural heritages in 1999.
Until now, Hoi An is safeguarded almost intact with an architectural unit composed of several categories: house, club, temple, family pagoda, well, bridge, port, market... associated with the vertical and horizontal road system to form squares under the shape of a chess-board, a popular model of medieval commercial cities. With inhabitants' daily life, the customs and habits, the cultural events well safeguarded and always in presence made this place a living museum of architecture and town life.
Different from the solemnity of the old capital Hue, the animation of Cho Lon (Big Market), the ancient look of Hoi An, very pure, attracts the souls who like romantic feature of the past.
Hoi An ancient town and its cultural characteristics
The harbor Hoi An, built in XV century, is a place where the Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese tradesmen came to exchange the goods and left their traces through the pagodas. Only until the last half of the XVII century, this place is transformed into a particular city of Dai Viet (Vietnam formerly). In XIX and beginning of XX century, before great political instabilities, Hoi An was always a very animating market. During the years 80, the old city became a tourist point attracting visitors around the world.
Formerly, Hoi An had only a single way which leads from Cau pagoda (the Bridge) to Ong pagoda (in front of the current Hoi An market) and afterwards to Ong Bon pagoda. Hoi An give view on the Cho Cui river, old name of Thu Bon river at the beginning of XX century. It is quite interesting for the visitors, coming there, to stroll in the quiet districts or on cyclo contemplating old houses whose tiles are since hundreds of years. The night is especially more brilliant and mysterious with the candles, hung under the house veranda, in the Chinese lanterns in the shape of a pumpkin in bamboo covered by multicolored fabrics.
Cau pagoda (the Bridge), known as Lai Vien Kieu, is considered as one of symbols of the old city Hoi An. Pagoda Bridge, crossing a stream of the river Thu Bon, is built by Japanese tradesmen at the beginning of XVI, XVII century, composed of 2 parts: the bridge and the pagoda. The bridge is built of assembled wood, covered by a tile roof. The pagoda follows a very particular architectural style, roof of faded tiles. The bridge and the pagoda are all in wooden painted and well sculptured. This monument is not simply a bridge or a pagoda but also a gathering place of the former villagers with the dream of a harmonized life in the community.
Other vestiges like Quang Dong club, Phuoc Kien club and old pagodas with wooden houses of hundreds of years make admire the visitors delicacy but also the depth of the craftsmen. Both splendid and grandiose, all monuments became the most alive history book which keeps the golden age of the Chinese community and the former inhabitants in Hoi An.
During the "nights of the old city", organized all the 14th of the lunar month, Hoi An become brilliant, mysterious with the light of the fuzzy and reflecting lanterns. There are round or prism lanterns in Chinese style, hung under the veranda or two door sides, the lanterns of large and small form of a caranium, or of a long pipe covered with white papers in Japanese style, suspended to alongside the posts... Moreover, other cultural activities are also organized like: hat bai choi (sing while playing cards), ho doi dap (sing by pushing cry while working), gastronomy, poetry clubs, traditional music, unicorn dance, hoa dang (lanterns in the river), and songs of children near Cau pagoda... The scene and mysterious light of old city associated with some Quang region's dishes as banh Bo, banh Vạc, Cao lau in restaurants from beginning of the century, with the singers voice resounded from the boats in the river, or under the roofs, or from the street end... All that forms a strange and particular attraction of Hoi An.
The streets full with shades of the trees and alstonias odor about October, the lanes curve in the old city, the inns all close one to other carry the beauty of time with the suspended flowers under the faded tile roof... formed a very old and poetic Hoi An. Thus, though so many changes, the alluvia of the river and historical events, Hoi An exists always, and always a voucher to remember history of Vietnam development.
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