Ancient and peaceful, Hoi An is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam that caters to travellers of all tastes and across the continents. This little town is just the perfect candidate of what the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Vietnam is aiming to show to the world.

A History of Asian fusion

A slow stroll through town reveals its gems. Hoi An to this day has well preserved its most sacred treasure, the centuries-old architecture. The town was used to harbor foreign traders back in the 17-18th century, and once was an important heavily-frequented trading port in Southeast Asia.

Mixing together with Vietnamese design, Chinese and Japanese accents melted to create a picture-perfect Hoi An of the late 19th century which has somehow remained mostly intact ever since. The end product is an oddly strange-yet-familiar sight that exists nowhere else in the world.

Accommodation and Shopping

One shall find his accommodation options ranging from lowly affordable motel rooms for as low as $8 per day, to the world-class 6-star top-of-the-line, allegedly-the-best-in Southeast-Asia, the Nam Hai resort nearby, which starts at a whopping $600 benchmark.

Of the things sold in town, there are only 3 different categories: souvenirs, clothings, and food. The souvenirs are not something to write home about, since offerings are limited in diversity throughout the country. Hoi An is better known for its tailor shops which mostly serve bespoke orders. Most designs are traditional Vietnamese in nature while some offer contemporary twists and touches of foreign taste as well.

Food and Cuisines

There is no shortage of bacon in town, but some dishes that can not be missed are “Cao Lau”, Hoi An chicken rice, Quang noodle and etc. Pricing and service are rightfully on par with the latest venues in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Yet in the face of all the capitalist businesses going on, for some reason, somehow, Hoi An retains its serenity. Life just seems to flow by at an uneventful rate.

Local people seem to slowly enjoy things as they are. While foreigners come to experience the history, many Vietnamese also come to Hoi An for a break to cheekily escape the hustling busy path of life.

“And it is in Hoi An that their inner peace shall be found, where sorrow is nothing but a gentle melody in the slow river of life”.