Hoi An
H?i An is a small city on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in the Qu?ng Nam province and is home to approximately 88,000 inhabitants.
The town is known to the French and Spanish as Faifo, and by similar names in Portuguese and Dutch. A number of theories have been put forth as to the origin of this name. Some scholars have suggested that it comes from the word “h?i-ph?” meaning “sea town”, while others have said that it seems more likely to simply be a shortening of H?i An-ph? “the town of Hoi An”, to “Hoi-pho” which became “Faifo”.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, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.
Hoi An was founded as a trading port by the Nguyen Lord Nguyen Hoang sometime around 1595. The Nguy?n Lords were far more interested in commercial activity than the Tr?nh Lords who ruled the north. As a result, Hoi An flourished as a trading port and became one of the most important trade ports on the South China Sea. Captain William Adams, the famous English sailor and confidant of Tokugawa Ieyasu, is known to have made at least one trading mission to Hoi An (around 1619).
In the 1700s Hoi An was considered by some Chinese merchants to be the best destination for trading in all of South East Asia.However the importance of Hoi An declined sharply at the end of the 1700s due to the collapse of the Nguyen rule (thanks to the Tay Son Rebellion – which was opposed to foreign trade). Then, with the triumph of Emperor Gia Long, he repaid the French for their aid by giving them exclusive trade rights to the nearby port town of Da Nang. Da Nang became the new center of trade (and later French influence) in central Vietnam while Hoi An was a forgotten backwater. Local historians also say that Hoi An lost its status as a desirable trade port due to silting up of the river mouth.
Today, H?i An is still a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, also being a well established place on the backpacker trail. Many visit for the numerous art and craft shops and tailors, who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western price.Several Internet cafés, bars and restaurants have opened along the riverfront. Hoi An is famed for its centuries old Cao l?u noodle, which can only be uniquely served here.
Point of interest in Hoi An:
1/ Hoi An Wreck:
The Hoi An Wreck lies 22 miles off the coast of central Vietnam in the South China Sea. Discovered by fishermen in the early 1990s, the Vietnamese government made several attempts to organise an investigation of the site but were confounded by the water depth – 230 feet.
The ship was carrying a large cargo of Vietnamese ceramics from the mid- to late-15th century. The provenance of the pieces was known to be the kilns of the Red River Delta (such as Chu Dau) because excavations in the region had been ongoing since their discovery in 1983. The only pieces remaining at the kiln sites were wasters (pieces that had fused, collapsed or exploded in the firing process). Intact examples of the wares produced were rare, since all were exported. When the wreck was found there was excitement among collectors and archaeologists, for it promised the first cargo consisting solely of Vietnamese wares.
In 1996, Malaysian-Chinese businessman Ong Soo Hin teamed up with Oxford University archaeologist Mensun Bound to work with Vietnam’s National History Museum in excavating the site. The project took four years and cost an estimated $14 million. Over 250,000 intact examples of Vietnamese ceramic were recovered.
2/ Kim Bong Woodworking Village:
Kim B?ng village is located in C?m Kim commune, H?i An city, Qu?ng Nam province is famous for its traditional woodworking products. Established in the 15th century, it reached its peak in the 18th century, during which time its villagers contributed mainly to build sophisticated H?i An, the world’s Cultural heritage and supplied ships for the activities of the busy commercial port of H?i An.
3/ My Son Sanctuary
M? S?n is a Hindu temple complex, located in the village of Duy Phú, in the administrative district of Duy Xuyên in Qu?ng Nam province in Central Vietnam, 69km southwest of Da Nang, and approximately 10 km from the historic town of Trà Ki?u. It comprises many Champa temples, in a valley roughly two kilometres wide, surrounded by two mountain ranges. It was the site of religious ceremony of kings of the Champa dynasty, and was also a burial place of Champa royals and national heroes. The M? S?n temple complex is one of the foremost temple complexes of Hinduism in South East Asia and is the foremost heritage site of this nature in Vietnam.
This temple complex is often popularly compared to other temple complexes in South east Asia, such as Borobodur (Indonesia), Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar) and Ayutthaya (Thailand). As of 1999, My Son has been selected by UNESCO as a world heritage listed site.
The construction of My Son was likely to have been started in the 4th century. During many centuries, the temple complex had more buildings and stupas constructed of varying sizes and became the main cultural vestige of the Champa civilization in Vietnam. Aside from religious celebrations, which allowed the dynastic royals to spiritually connect with the gods, My Son was also a cultural and religious centre and was the burial place of kings and religious leaders. The earliest discovered relics date back to the era of the great king Bhadravarman I (Ph?m H? ??t), who reigned from 381 until 413, who had built a hall to worship Linga and Shiva. My Son shows the hallmarks of a strong architectural influence from India – present in the stupas of the temples, now fading in the splendour of the past, and in cultural influences – the inscriptions on the stele are written in Pali.
Based on other steles, it was learnt that there was an initial wooden temple in the 4th century. More than two centuries later, the temple was incinerated in a large fire. In the 7th century, King Sambhuvarman (Ph?m Ph?n Chi), who reigned from 577 until 629 used brick to rebuild the temple, which stands to this day (it was possibly moved from Khu L?t to Trà Ki?u). Subsequent kings continued to renovate the older templates and construct more temples to worship gods. Brick and reliable materials were used to preserve the memory of this civilisation and the construction techniques used by the Cham people remain to this day difficult to understand. There still has been no comprehensive explanation as to the raw materials used to stick the bricks together, nor as to how they were lifted into place.
The stupas and tombs range from the 7th century to the 14th century – the results of tomb exhumations revealed that Cham kings were buried here since the 4th century. There are a total of over 70 buildings in the complex. The My Son complex may have been the religious and cultural centre of the Champa government whilst the government was based in Trà Ki?u or ??ng D??ng.
At the My Son complex, there was one temple constructed of stone, the foremost stone temple in Champa civilisation was the centerpiece of the complex. In 1900 French architect, artist and archeologist Henri Parmentier went to Vietnam to study Cham architecture. While there he sketched the lavishly ornamented tower of Mi Son. The stele inscription reveals that the last stone alterations to this temple were made in 1234. Today, this temple is no longer standing, although it once stood at over 21m, the tallest building in the complex. Evidence gathered from the surrounding area show that it was once part of the original temple in the 4th century. In 1969 the Vietcong used this tower as a hideout and mounted a radio transmitter on the summit. After US air raids failed to knock out the tower a comando team crept in and planted explosives. The blast reduced the tower to a pile of rubble.
4/ The Japanese Covered Bridge
The Japanese Covered Bridge is the best known structure in the city and was constructed by the Japanese merchants living in Hoi An at the mid-sixteenth century. Due to its fragile structure it has been faithfully reconstructed to its original shape several times since then.
It is located at the western end of Tran Phu Street and spans the tiny stream splitting the town. Inside the bridge’s narrow span are a collection of stelae and four statues, two dogs and two monkeys, usually said to record that work began in the year of the monkey and ended in that of the dog.
The bridge is also a symbolic bridge among cultures with few values in common; a bridge connecting people, a viaduct between minimalist ascetics and ultra-colorful animism. It is a bridge which seeks neither conversions nor explanations; a bridge which by its simple existence gives an example of a different reality in which different people can live together in peace; a bridge of hope for the multi-polar Global Village.
5/ Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall
Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall, also called Kim Son Pagoda was built in Hoi An in 1692 by Chinese Phuoc Kien merchants. It has since been restored and enhanced many times. Because it was used for worship as well as for meetings by the Chinese from Phuoc Kien Province, this construction is now called the Phuoc Kien Assembly hall.
The Assembly Hall stretches from Tran Phu Street to Phan Chu Trinh Street. The tree-entrance gate is a structure composed of seven-roof layers covered with blue enamel tube-tiles. These roofs with gently cuved corners overlap each other. A board with three Chinese characters “Kim Son Tu” is hung at the front hall. Inside the hall, there are two big embossments. The one of the left descrobes the scene of Thien Hau Holy Mother saving a boat which was sinking into the sea. The one on the right represents the scene of six generals riding horses and leading to fight the Qing in order to restore the Ming Dynasty movement. After these six gerals were defeated, their offspring hat to flee to Hoi An.
The main hall is dedicated to the statue of Avalokitesvara sitting in meditation in a glass cage. A big incense burner is placed at the front of the statue. On the left of the incense table is the statue of the God of Thien Ly Nhan (thousand-mile vision) and the right is the God of Thuong Phong Nhi (thousand-mile hearing). These are masterpieces of the skilled workers of Kim Bong village. These gods are believed to have assisted Thien Hau Holy Mother in saving victims on the sea.
The rear of the main hall is dedicated to the worship of Thien Hau Holy Mother. Her statue seats in meditation. On the left, there is a model of a 1875 sailing boat. Behind the main hall is the back sanctuary. At the front is a small lake for raising ornamental fish. A big dragon whose head is grafted wuth turquoise enamel porcelain and colorful glass pieces twists aroung the lake. The head looks very lively and beautiful. A unicorn embossed on the wall, at the back of the hall, is depicted playing with a dragon above the lake, to form the scene of “dancing dragon and unicorn”.
A place at the center of the back sanctuary is dedicated to six general of the Ming Dynasty who came from Phuoc Kien Province. Two sides of the back santuary are dedicaed to Chinese popular gods. The left altar is dedicated to the three Sanh Thai goddesses (Kim Hoa Nuong Nuong, Sanh Thai Nhi Chua, Sanh Thai Thap Nhi Tien Nuong) and 12 midwives. The right one is dedicated to the Gof of Wealth. As for the back sanctuary, it is dedicated to people who donated their wealth to build the pagoda. The Assembly Hall houses a lot of statues, bronze drums, bronze bells, big incense burner, 14 horinzontal laquered boards and other valuable artefacts.
Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall is religious relic. It is the biggest assembly hall and it displays rich architectural and artistic features.
6/ Tan Ky Old House
Tan Ky Old House was built nearly 200 years ago. The owner of the house has preserved its interior design and old fourniture, as well as many relics of the prospering trade and cultural exchanges among the Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese in the late 17th century. This is the first old house, along with two other structures in Hoi An, which was granted the title of Cultural Site by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1985.
The house was built from traditional materials by skilled local artisans and was influenced by Chinese and Japanese styles. Its charming and elegant designs give it a cosy aspect.
The front hall has two storeys roofed with pan-tiles. The groung floor is 2 meters in length and is divided into three smaller compartments by several columns. The left and the right ones are 2 meters lenght each, and the middle one, 1.2 meters. All the columns stand on round stone bases carved with lotus flowers, for a solid structure.
There is a large wooden door but no window. Above the door are two wooden bolts carved with the yin-yang symbol. Long planks are put together horizontally on the two sides of the door. They can be dismantled for displaying goods and seating the owner when necessary. In the inner wall of the ddor of the second compartment is a red lacquered board engraved with three golden Chinese characters meaning “Le Family Chapel”.
The second compartment constitutes the center of the house. It is bigger than he first one, and it used to be a guestroom. Today, it is devoted to worshipping of the ancestors and Buddha, as well as receiving guests. It has only one storey with a high celling. Its rafters are quite special : the lower one are longer the the upper ones. The column that supports the rafter stands on a finger-shaped wooden support. The wall have two bricklayers with thin planks in between them, thus keeping the house cool in summer and warn in winter. Strong peck and jackfruit woods are the main materials of the house. The floor is paved with Bat Trang-made tiles. The stone used in other places of the house comes from Tranh Hoa Province.
In the sitting room, there are an old table and chairs made of black laquered wood. Their surface are made of centuries old marble from Ngu Hanh Mountain.
On the walls are Chinese-inked pictures od mountains, rivers and horses in the old Chinese style. The columns are adorned with different parallel sentences. On two columns, in the middle of the room, are two mother-of-pearl inscriptions named “a hundred birds”. Each letter of the sentences represents a bird, the symbol of noble men. The birds have different postures. The sentences read, “A 10 feet-long row of willows waits for rain thousands of miles away. A 10cm-wide moonlight shines up the whole garret full of books”.
On the two innermost columns of the second compartment are two parrallel sentences written in old Chinese characters. They are inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting apricot flowers, birds, orchids, chrysanthemums and bamboo trees. Japanese-style rafters upport the wooden arch between the two compartments. Some other columns are carved with motifs of “carps transforming into dragons”, which are commonly found in Chinese architecture.
The two-storey compartment, which serves as a “bridge house”, runs on the right of the plot of land and squarely to the second compartment. On the left side is the open yard, which absorbs sunshine and helps ventilate the whole house. There is a rain water resservoir in the yard, which is paved with grey square stones from Tjanh Hoa province.
The balcony of the “bridge-house”, and the second compartment are connected to each other by a wooden bar edged with grape leave-shape designs of European origin. The wooden bars that link the columns together are decorated with bas-relief of peaches or finger citrons.
Another two-storey compartment stands parrallel with the first and secon ones. On the celing of the groung fllor, there is a square hole that the owner would use for moving goods horizontally with a pulley. The back door overlooks a warf by the Hoa An River, which was very convenient for loading and unloading goods.
7/ Cua Dai Beach.
Cua Dai belongs to Cam An Ward, Hoi An city, about 4km east of the Hoi An center along highway 608. Formerly, this was the top busy trading port, called Faifo, in South Vietnam. At present, Cua Dai is the largest sea Tourist zone in Hoi An, with fine white sand-dunes, emerald water, small waves, sunlight and windy beach.
8/ Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island)
The Cu Lao Cham is situated approximately 20km from hoi An city, in the East Sea. Covering an area of 15km square, this archipelago included 7 islands with evocative names: Hon Lao (Hon Ong), the largest and most populous, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con, so called because of their arid soil, Hon Tai having an ear-shaped figure, Hon Dai, resembling a wave, Hon La, that of a boat and Hon Mo, the shape of a tomb. Three mountains rise from Cu Lao Cham: Ngoa Long, Bat Long and Tiem But.
The Cham island (the Lao, the main island) has a good climate, always cool all the year round The system of trees and animals here are plentiful, especially sea products. On the island there is a precious natural potential: the bird nests whereas under the water, the strip of coral is quite marvelous to look at.
Vietnam destinations
Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hai Phong – Ha Long Bay – Hoa Binh – Sapa
Phong Nha – Ke Bang – Hue – Danang – Hoi An – Nha Trang -Mui Ne