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Hoi An town is small and peaceful, the kind of
place where you may get stuck for a few days, whether it is
intentional or not. Originally known as Faifo, this antique town
is bordered on its southern side by the Thu Bon River, along
which there's a number of small cafes. Despite the fact that it
is now a tourist haven, the artistic atmosphere and local
friendly people create an inviting environment.
Hoi An was an important port developed in 17th
century and remained so for a long time. There used to be canals
parallel to the streets, so merchandise could be loaded straight
from the back of houses onto the boats. Hoi An’s continuance as
a port lasted right up until the early years of the 20 century,
when the river became silted up forcing the cargo ships to call
at Da Nang instead.
In
the past Hoi An has been used by the Japanese, Portuguese,
Dutch, French and the large remaining Chinese community where
all sorts of produce and wares were traded. Remnants of these
past traders’ influences can still be seen lining the streets of
Hoi An. There are nine different types of historical sites in
Hoi An with an average age of 200 years. They include private
houses, family chapels, community halls, communal houses,
temples, pagodas, bridges, wells and tombs. Many of these
buildings have been maintained close to their original form,
allowing you imagination to recreate a prosperous trading town.
The houses are small and colorful with wooden doors and two
round "wooden house's eyes" above, window shutters and
ornamental furniture. A pleasant change from the iron bars and
metal grates of other towns.
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Hoi
An is full of shops selling artwork, from lifelike memorial
family portraits, to stylized images of Hoi An houses and
streets. Next door to the art shops are places selling souvenir
statues, ceramic plates, and ‘antique’ bowls. At the market
place beside the river, you can pick up almost anything you
want. Tourists are often being lured into the markets to buy
silk and to have quality garments tailor made. You can have
anything from dresses and trousers to shirts and hats made for a
cheap price.
Another noticeable quality of Hoi An is its relative silence.
There are few cars and people do not feel the urge to use their
horns every two seconds. The streets are filled with the hum of
voices, motorbikes and the shuffling of thongs along the ground.
Hoi An is small enough to get around on foot, and you will need
a set of wheels if you are going to Cue Dai Beach, or on a day
trip to the Marble Mountains or Da Nang.
A
relaxing activity around sunset is to hire a boat from the
waterside by the market place. Many of the locals will wait on
the river and offer you this service throughout the day and
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