|
 Once
known as Faifo,
Hoi An- Vietnam
was one of the orient’s major trading ports
in the 16th and 17th centuries.
After the Thu Bon River linking Hoi An to
the sea silted up ocean going ships were no
longer able to sail into town and trade
moved 30km up the coast to Tourane, known
nowadays as
Danang.
Despite
the passing of 200 years and the ravages of
weather and war, the centre of Hoi An
remains much the same as it was in its
heyday. A walking tour is the best way to
see the wooden-fronted houses that once
belonged to the town’s prosperous merchants,
the Japanese-covered Bridge and the
wonderful market. Hoi An is one of the best
places in Vietnam to shop for souvenirs at
bargain prices including silk, handicrafts,
antiques and paintings.
Five
kilometers from the centre of town is
Cua Dai Beach,
popular with both locals and visitors alike,
for its sandy beach, warm sea and seafood
stalls. Hoi An is known throughout Vietnam
for its excellent seafood and it also boasts
its own unique dishes such as Cao Lau, a
delicious combination of noodles, pork, bean
sprouts, mint and croutons. |
Inland
and a half-day trip from Hoi An is
My Son,
where the capital of the once great Champa
Kingdom stood. The Chams, Hindus originally
from India, were the rulers of large areas
of central Vietnam between the 2nd
and 15th centuries. The Cham
Museum, housed in a
classical French
colonial building in
Danang, has the finest collection of Cham
sculpture in the world, much of it
originating from the My Son site.