A walk through Ancient Hoi An Town

  Hoi An, Vietnam
Sunday, May 10, 2009

Hoi An is an old river town that used to act as a merchant port. Colonised by the French, it seems much of their architecture can be seen in the ancient part of town. Yes the old town does have an ancient town within!

The Ancient Town in Hoi An.

Today we decided to buy two combination tickets for 110,000 VND (£4.00) from the tourist office at the bottom of Le Loi street, A combination ticket grants entry to one museum, one temple, one cultural show and one old house. Although it was so hot today (33°c) that we would try and do as many of them as possible. No promises!

Our first ticket gained us entry into the "Museum of Trading Ceramics", and gave us a glimpse into the history of the Hoi An area. The number of exhibitions were limited to one room at the front of the house, but the actual décor of the building more than made up for it. The dark wood architecture oozed of both Japanese and European influences. The upper floor had a fantastic balcony which allowed us to spy into the shops below.

There was a lantern shop opposite, and a young boy was sitting near the window stiching the decorative casings onto the wooden frames. The lanterns were in all shapes and colours, but with a shop full to bursting, I was a little sceptical that the demand was so high. Also from this vantage point we got the chance to photograph all of the rooftops agaist the clear blue sky, it was a beautiful sight. More so, with the enforced height restrictions on buildings within the area. Well done UNESCO.

Even the street signs look ancient here!

A few yards down the road was our next stop; and one ticket less. A building known as the "Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation" built in 1975. Its decorations were very flamboyant; mosaics and miniture statues adorned both the walls and rooftops. Inside the building giant spirals of incense, possibly 2-3 metres in length, hung from the ceiling. Not a square inch was spared. The smell of incense was overpowering, and hot ash can be quite painful when it drops from the ceiling onto your arms. Just don't look directly up :)

To the rear of the hall was a monument to Thien Hau a deity that offers protection to all sea vessels. On either side were guardians that would watch over the sea and alert Thien Hau of any vessels in distress. If you had seen these guardians in the flesh I am not sure if you would be that grateful for their help, as they did look like something out of Ghostbusters!

Next was a brief stop at "Quang Cong Temple". Unfortunately it wasn't that impressive a sight. A koi carp pond is the centre piece within the courtyard, but as in true Vietnamese style it is extremely decorative and fantastical. So a brief few minutes were spent here before moving on. The midday heat was starting to take its toll, and we mustered the energy to view one last site before retreating for some lunch.

Spiral incense hanging from the ceiling.

Just a few metres down the road was another building known as the "Assembly Hall of the Hainan Chinese Congregation" and it was free to get in. The hall was constructed to honour 108 merchants that were accidentally killed at sea. They were mistaken for pirates. Opps!

Lunch would be at Cargo restaurant. It was hard not to go back there, as they had sandwiches on the menu. It may not sound that exciting, but it has been nearly 50 days since we got the chance to eat something like Goats Cheese. The lack of conversation as we ate, said it all. Cargo's food is fantastic!

A slow walk was needed back to the hotel. The plan was to relax and watch some HBO, and then walk back into town to My-My tailor. It was time to pick up the dress and skirt that Emma was fitted for. We were both nervous and didn't know what to expect as we had paid the entire $50 up front.

Some of the beautiful restaurants along the river.

All of our fears were allayed when we arrived. The dress was perfect. Emma looked beautiful. The smile on Emma's face was worth every penny. The ladies in the shop tried their best to get me to buy a suit, but I tried explaining to them that I don't even need to wear a suit in my job.... Oh yeah, I actually need a job first :)

At the end of the day we decided to eat at Restaurant 96 which serves Hoi An delicacies. Situated on the river bank, the décor is very dilapidated, but that is part of its charm and gives it such a warming atmosphere. We tried Cau Lao (doughy Noodles, croutons, bean sprouts and pork), Banh Xeo (crispy savoury pancakes) and Wontons. The food wasn't too bad, but the Hoi An delicacies did not compare to that of Hanoi.