THE ANCIENT TOWN OF HOI AN

In the 16^th and 17^th centuries, Hoi An was the international trading centre in Southern Viet Nam. Foreign merchant ships came to Hoi An in great numbers for annual commercial fairs, each lasted from 4 to 6 months. Right in this town, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Indian traders set up their own quarters for permanent habitation.

Thanks to fortunate opportunities, the old town of Hoi An, an unique concentration of architectural monuments of various forms: living house, assembly hall, water well, bride, market, wharf… has been preserved intact. They are along the streets that cut one another, forming palaces and giving a good example of symbolic oriental cities in the Middle Ages. So wonderful with its old aged traditionally well-kept cultural activities, habits and customs, the town is now a wonderful living museum of architecture and urban life style.

On December 4^th, 1999, Hoi  An was inscribed on the World Heritage list.