Vietnam Desstination: Hoian (an ancient town) - UNESCO site

Vietnam Desstination: Hoian (an ancient town) - UNESCO site

In the 16th and the 17th centuries, Hoi An commercial port was the international trade center in Southern Vietnam. Foreign merchant ships came to Hoi An in great numbers and... a bustle for annually commercial fairs, each lasted from 4 to 6 months. Right in this town, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Indian traders set up their emporiums or established their own quarters for permanent habitation. Thanks to fortunate opportunities, the old town of Hoi An, a unique concentration of architectural monuments of various forms: living house, assembly hall, communal house, pagoda, shrine, temple, water well, bridge, wharf, market...has been preserved rather intact. They are along the streets that cut one another, forming palaces and giving a good example of symbolic oriental cities in the Middle Age. So wonderful with its old aged and traditionally well kept habits and customs, the town is now an excellent model of a living museum of architecture and urban lifestyle.    On the 4th, December 1999 the Old Town of Hoi An was inscribed on the World Heritage list Hoi An, once known as Faifo, was a major international port in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the foreign influences are discernible to this day. While the serious shipping business has long since moved to Danang, the heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shop houses, which is particularly atmospheric in the evening as the sun goes down. While almost all shops now cater to the tourist trade, the area has been largely preserved as is, which is unusual in Vietnam, and renovation has proceeded slowly and carefully - it's mercifully absent of towering concrete blocks and karaoke parlors. The Vietnamese customs and practices in Hoi An is a combination of traditional customs and practices of their ancestors immigrating from Northern Viet Nam and  some certain rituals of the Cham, the Chinese, the Japanese and others in Southeast Asia. There are many practices of the primeval ancient times such as the worship of stone, whales, rain, wind, thunder, lightning, big trees... But they are completely different from superstitious practices. Still in Hoi An, people who have different occupations also have their own practices. In Hoi An festivities take place all the year round. They are mainly Vietnamese seasonal festivities, Chinese regular worships and religious practices. Most of them are more ceremonies than festivals. Games or recreations for the people are not many except for the classical opera or singing. Nowadays all over Hoi An, festivities are still held every year: Te Xuan (held in the 1st Lunar month), Te Thu (held in the 7th Lunar month), Fishing Crop Praying (held in the 2nd lunar month), and many smaller ones such as the worships of the God of Earth, of New Rice, of Agriculture God, of the Founder of the profession, Buddha ‘s Birthday, Christmas, Soul Free Setting festival In the recent years the local authorities and the people in Hoi An have concentrated to protecting, restoring and preserving the tangible and intangible properties of the Heritage Town of Hoi An. Scores of old buildings in town were restored in the professional principles and methodology. They are highly appreciated by the UNESCO. The project for Hoi An restoration is an excellent project that was awarded by this organization in November, 2000 Many kinds of traditional festivals are being restored. Traditional occupations that vanished years ago (embroidery, woodcarving, lantern making, Cao lau noodle processing, calligraphy writing...) now reappear in Hoi An with a new vital force and attract a lots of labourers and learners. Cultural heritage preservation is, above all, for the people and for the country. Cultural heritage is the most interesting and impressing tourist product. So, Hoi An is trying to organize a happy wedding for the heritage town preservation and tourism development in order that the community can benefit and the heritage town can be preserved better and better. Many kinds of traditional festivals are being restored. Traditional occupations that vanished years ago (embroidery, woodcarving, lantern making, Cao lau noodle processing, calligraphy writing...) now reappear in Hoi An with a new vital force and attract a lots of labourers and learners. Cultural heritage preservation is, above all, for the people and for the country. Cultural heritage is the most interesting and impressing tourist product. So, Hoi An is trying to organize a happy wedding for the heritage town preservation and tourism development in order that the community can benefit and the heritage town can be preserved better and better. The main thoroughfare in the Old Town is Tran Phu. Just south of the Old Town, across the Thu Bon River, are the islands of An Hoi to the west, reachable via Hai Ba Trung, and Cam Nam to the east, reachable via Hoang Dieu.