What is special about Hoi An Ancient Town? Why has Hoi An Ancient Town never lost its appeal to travelers over the years? Join Klook Vietnam to find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Hoi An Ancient Town on Google!
It is not an exaggeration to say that is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Vietnam today. From mainstream newspapers to famous social networking platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram or Facebook, the image of Hoi An Ancient Town appears full of nostalgia; and more than once the beauty of Hoi An Ancient Town has been honored on international tourism forums.
When talking about Hoi An Ancient Town, people immediately think of rows of tiled-roof houses and bright yellow painted walls that make every street seem to shine. It could also be a quiet journey on a boat down the Thu Bon River and releasing flower lanterns, listening to emotional anecdotes about hundreds of years ago. And even if you love this place very much, you still have some questions about Hoi An Ancient Town. So let Klook take you back in time to see the memories of Hoi An in the past – a bustling port city that went through many glorious historical periods, a national pride until now.
1. Where is Hoi An Ancient Town?
Hoi An ancient town is located in the lower Thu Bon river, in the coastal plain of the central coast of Quang Nam province, about 30km south of Da Nang city, the traffic route is extremely convenient so it is often combined with .
The old town is a blend of Chinese and Japanese architecture, bearing the ancient and quiet features. The beautiful city of Hoi An is considered an ancient town filled with many memories of Vietnam. This old town is divided into 9 different wards. The east borders the East Sea, the west borders Dien Ban town, the south borders Duy Xuyen district, and the north borders Dien Ban town and the East Sea.
2. What is Hoi An Ancient Town in English?
Hoi An Ancient Town in English is Hoi An Ancient Town, the name given to foreign tourists when coming to this beautiful ancient town.
Hoi An ancient town is so beautiful that it is not only praised in the press as belonging to Vietnam but also famous all over the world. Foreign tourists praise the land of Hoi An for its quiet beauty, nostalgic and rustic simplicity.
3. When was Hoi An Ancient Town founded? What is the history of Hoi An Ancient Town?
Hoi An was born in the second half of the 16th century, during the Le Dynasty and opened the most prosperous period in the history of this trading port hundreds of years later. With the harmony of many cultures and still exists almost intact to this day.
Thanks to favorable climatic and geographical factors, Hoi An was once a prosperous and bustling international trading port, a meeting place for merchant ships and traders from China, Japan and Western countries throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Before this period, Hoi An also had traces of the Champa trading port or known for the maritime silk road.
The history of the formation of the ancient city of Hoi An began in 1527 when Mac Dang Dung took the throne from the Le Dynasty, and the Dong Kinh area was under the complete control of the Mac Dynasty. In 1533, Nguyen Kim gathered soldiers to fight against the Mac Dynasty on behalf of the Le Dynasty. When Nguyen Kim died, his son-in-law Trinh Kiem took power and overwhelmed Nguyen Kim’s family. In 1558, Nguyen Kim’s second son, Nguyen Hoang, brought family members and soldiers back to Thuan Hoa to defend.
After 1570, Nguyen Hoang controlled the right to defend Quang Nam, together with his son Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, built a citadel, focused on developing the economy of Dang Trong, and expanded trade and commerce with foreign countries. From then on, Hoi An became the number one trading port in Southeast Asia at that time.
Through many ups and downs of historical events such as the Trinh Nguyen conflict, Hoi An was still a bustling port with Japanese streets, Chinese streets,… And after Lord Trinh occupied Quang Nam, Hoi An was devastated, leaving only religious architecture.
Hoi An was revived only five years later, but the bustle of commerce was no longer the same. The Chinese and Vietnamese rebuilt the city from the ruins according to their own architectural styles, unintentionally causing traces of the Japanese quarter to disappear forever.
During the Nguyen Dynasty, due to the closed-door policy and limited trade with foreign countries, Dong Kinh port gradually lost its important position. In 1976, Quang Nam – Da Nang province was established, Da Nang gradually developed strongly, Hoi An fell into oblivion. It was not until 1980 that it received the attention of Vietnamese scholars and other countries. In 1999, Hoi An was listed as a “World Cultural Heritage” and became attractive to tourists and famous to this day.
4. What Does Hoi An Mean?
In the past, Westerners called Hoi An by the name Faifo, which means urban area – a trading town with a port. But this was only considered a way of calling, not considered an official name. Hoai Pho was the official name of Hoi An at that time.
And the name Hoi An today has been known for a long time before that and it is not known exactly when. During the Le Dynasty, the map Thien Nam Tu Chi Lo Do recorded for the first time the place names Hoi An Pho, Hoi An Da, Hoi An Kieu.
5. In what year was Hoi An Ancient Town recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage?
Hoi An Ancient Town on December 4, 1999. Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized based on two criteria:
- Hoi An is an outstanding physical manifestation of the fusion of multiculturalism over time in an international trading port.
- Hoi An is a prime example of a well-preserved traditional Asian port
6. How far is it from Da Nang to Hoi An Ancient Town? How long does it take to travel? What means of transport should you use?
The distance from Da Nang to Hoi An is about 30km to the South. Travel time will depend on the means of transport used as follows:
- Motorbike: It usually takes about 45 – 50 minutes to travel from Da Nang to Hoi An.
- Bus: Travel time by bus is 70 to 80 minutes.
- Car: For cars, the estimated travel time is 45 – 55 minutes. However, this time may vary depending on traffic and road conditions.
