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Hoi An Attractions
The whole town is an attraction, its narrow streets comprised of lovely historic buildings buzzing with open-air craft shops, woodworkers, and carvers. Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets are crowded with the shops of the original Chinese merchants and clan associations. Most Hoi An buildings have been lovingly restored and transformed into cafes, art galleries, and silk and souvenir shops, while still retaining their historical dignity. If you're an artist, bring your sketch pad and watercolors; photographers, bring plenty of film or an extra memory card.
The Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Organization (www.hoianworldheritage.org) has the dilemma of financing the restorations and maintaining the old portions of the town. They sell a 75,000 VND ticket that allows limited admission to the sights within the old town, each of which is listed below. "Limited" means a "one from column A, one from column B" formula. One ticket gets you one of the three museums, one of the three assembly halls, and one of the four old houses; entrance to a handicraft workshop and traditional music concert (10:15am and 3:15pm, respectively, Tues-Sun); plus a choice of either the Japanese Bridge, the Quan Kong Temple, or the local handicraft workshop. So to see everything, you'll have to purchase three tickets. The three-star choices in each category are your best bet if you don't have time to see it all.
11 Results
- Landmark
Cantonese Assembly Hall (Quang Trieu/Guangzhou Assembly Hall)
Built in 1885, this hall is quite ornate and colorful. All of the building materials were completed in China, brought here, and then reassembled. The center garden sports a fountain with a dragon made of chipped pottery, the centerpiece. Inside, look for the statues depicting scenes… - Landmark
Fukian Assembly Hall (Phuc Kien)
This is the grandest of the assembly halls, built in 1697 by Chinese merchants from Fukian Province. It is a showpiece of classical Chinese architecture, at least after you pass the first gate, which was added in 1975. It's loaded with animal themes: The fish in the mosaic fountain… - Religious Site
Hoi An Cathedral
The only spectacular thing about this Catholic cathedral is its resilience. Originally built in 1903, the structure was rebuilt in 1964 with the influx of greater numbers of Catholics seeking refuge from persecution in the North. There's a small orphanage out back, and this stalwart… - Landmark
House of Hoi An Traditional Handicraft
This is basically a silk shop with an interesting gimmick: On the first floor you can see both a 17th-century silk loom and a working, machine-powered cotton one. On the second, you can see where silk comes from: There are trays of silkworms feeding, then a rack of worms incubating,… - Landmark
Japanese Covered Bridge
The name of this bridge in Vietnamese, Lai Vien Kieu, means "Pagoda in Japan." No one is exactly sure who first built it in the early 1600s (it has since been renovated several times), but it is usually attributed to Hoi An's Japanese community. The dog flanking one end and the… - Cooking Class
Miss Vy's School of Cooking
Recently relocated to Morning Glory restaurant, the cookery school is just your chance to meet Hoi An's diva, the stylish and effusive Ms. Vy, who nearly has the market cornered on good dining in Hoi An. Come find out her secrets. The tour starts early with a visit to the market and… - Historic Site
Old House of Tan Ky
There have been either five or seven generations of Tans living here, depending on whom you speak with. Built over 200 years ago, the four small rooms are crammed with dark-wood antiques. The room closest to the street is for greeting visiting merchants. Farther in is the living… - Religious Site
Quan Kong Temple
This temple was built in the early 1600s to honor a famous Chin dynasty general. Highlights inside are two gargantuan 3m-high (9 3/4-ft.) wooden statues flanking the main altar, one of Quan Kong's protector and one of his adopted son. They are fearsome and impressive. Reportedly the… - Cooking Class
Red Bridge Cooking School
This half-day morning cooking class from Hai Scout Café starts with a trip to the market and then takes you by boat (25 min.) back to the cafe, where you spend the rest of your time cooking and eating a big lunch. The course finishes at 1pm and requires a minimum of two students. - Historic Site
The Old House of Phun Hung
This private house, constructed in 1780, is two floors of combined architectural influences. The first floor's central roof is four-sided, showing Japanese influence, and the upstairs balcony has a Chinese rounded "turtle shell" roof with carved beam supports. The house has weathered… - Religious Site
The Tran Family Home and Chapel
In 1802, a civil service mandarin named Tran Tu Nhuc built a family home and chapel to worship his ancestors. A favorite of Viet Emperor Gia Long, he was sent to China as an ambassador, and his home reflects his high status. Elegantly designed with original Chinese antiques and royal…
Hoi An Shopping
Southeast Asia is packed with would-be Buddhists, travelers on a real spiritual mission espousing lives of detachment from material desires. These folks usually walk away with just the "one suit, two shirts, trousers, and a tie" package when they leave Hoi An. Shopaholics wander the streets in a daze.
Hoi An is a silk mecca. The quality and selection are the best in the country, and you'll have more peace and quiet here during a fitting than in Hanoi. Silk suits are made to order within 24 hours for about $35; cashmere wool is $45. There are countless shops, and the tailoring is all about the same quality and fast. A good way to choose a shop is by what you see out front -- if you see a style you like, it'll help with ordering. Make sure you take the time to specify your style, down to the stitch (it can come back looking pretty cheap without specifics). Try any of the shops along Le Loi; to recommend one in particular would be like recommending one snowflake over another. The tailoring is very fast but not always great, so plan to have two or three fittings. Be choosy about your cloth, or go to the market and buy it yourself (Hoi An Cloth Market is at 01 Tran Phu St.), and haggle. It's not a bad idea to bring an actual suit or piece of clothing that you'd like a copy of. Get measurements from friends and relatives for good gifts.
There are also skilled cobblers who make custom shoes at affordable rates. Find them near the market on Tran Phu Street.
Tran Phu Street is lined with art galleries and good pottery and woodcarving vendors. Along the river, lots of places sell blue-and-white ceramics. However cumbersome your finds are, such as those lovely Chinese lanterns, shopkeepers are masters at packing for travel and to fit in your luggage, and will do so before you've even agreed on a price or decided to buy. Haggle hard.
Hand-painted Chinese scrolls make a great souvenir, and down the street from the Hung Long Art Gallery , Mr. Ly Si Binh (21 Nguyen Thai Hoc St.; tel. 0510/391-0721) can script anything from peace or determination to your best buddy's name in Chinese (if it's wrong, he won't know the difference anyway). And it's fun to watch cheery Mr. Binh at work.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, most stores listed here are open from 8am to late evening (around 9pm), but hours can and do vary.
Hoi An Nightlife
For the most part, Hoi An is a town that sleeps early, but you can find a few good nightspots. Tam-Tam Café has long been a popular spot for travelers, expats, and locals. Hai Scout Cafe (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc St.; tel. 0510/386-3210) is a popular late-night hangout for travelers, offering standard bar drinks as well as cappuccino and espresso and some great baked treats. Friendly Hai runs the show at this long-popular courtyard bar and cafe, where, as the Beastie Boys say, "The candlelight is just right, the hi-fi is in the background, and the wine is delicious." Treat's Same Same Café (158 Tran Phu St., at the intersection with Le Loi; tel. 0510/386-1125) is also usually hopping as late as it can and has a pool table and a guillotine (for show, of course). Also check out Treat's Same Same Not Different Bar at 93 Tran Hung Dao St. (tel. 0510/386-2278), which is, in a word, similar. ChamPa (75 Nguyen Thai Hoc; tel. 0510/386-2974) has comfy chairs, good wine, and a cozy, late-night atmosphere with frequent cultural dance performances. Mango Rooms (111 Nguyen Thai Hoc; tel. 0510/391-0839) is the town's most popular little bistro and gathering point for local expats and visiting literati.
