Hoi An, is used to be well-known as an international market with many different names, such as Lam Ap, Faifo, Hoai Pho and Hoi An …
Hoi An Old Town is located 30km south of Danang City, and 60km northeast of Tam Ky. Hoi An used to be an international trade center by sea on the east area in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the busiest trading port in Dang Trong region of Vietnam during the reign of Nguyen as merchants f-rom Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Holland…often stopped over to exchange and purchase commodities.
CLIMATE
The best time to visit Hoi An is from February to April. The weather this time is really comfortable and not much rain. Every year has 2 distinct seasons: rainy season ( August – December) and dry season ( January – July). If possible, come to Hoi An on every 14th month in lunar calendar and enjoy Mid-Autumn Festival. On this occasion, you will have a chance to enjoy traditional songs, dance, play traditional games and try wonderful dishes; especially look directly colourful lanterns over streets. Don’t miss these time!
RESTAURANTS/DINING
Chicken rice in Hoi An
Chicken rice, is not exclusive to Hoi An, but locals have successfully improved on it, making it one of their signature dishes.
A dish of chicken rice is mouth-watering with its pleasantly yellowed rice topped with hand-shredded chicken and herbs. It is served with a small bowl of soup containing some chicken giblets like heart and liver.
It is said that to make the famous com ga, Hoi An people carefully choose rice and chicken of top quality. They season the rice before cooking it with chicken broth and pandan leaves on wood-fired clay ovens.
Cao lau Hoi An (Hoi An vermicelli)
Visitors to Hoi An never forget Cao Lau (vermicelli), the special Hoi An and Quang Nam special symbol Cao Lau is the foremost traditional Hoi An food. Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which was considered by Quang Nam people as a special symbol for Hoi An.Cao lau noodles are carefully made from local new sticky rice. Water used to soak rice must be taken from wells in the Ba Le Village; noodles thus will be soft, enduring and flavored with special sweet-smelling.
White Rose- Banh bao – banh vac
Wrose (banh bao vac), a type of shrimp dumpling made f-rom translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose. Many people like these cakes not only for their delicious flavor but also for their beautiful appearance. The French gave it the name of “white roses”.
The famous dish actually consists of two kinds of steamed rice dumplings. Banh vac is filled with ground shrimp, garlic, spring onion, lemon grass, and spices. Banh bao, on the other hand, has minced pork and mushrooms as the main fillings. They are known –somewhat poetically — as white roses among English speakers, though only one of the two dishes lives up to the name; the other looks more like Chinese jiaozi or pot stickers. The dish is served with a dipping sauce made from shrimp broth.
Banh dap
Literally translated as cracked/smashed rice pancakes, banh dap is perhaps one of the simplest foods in Hoi An’s cuisine, but its contradictory textures easily makes the biggest impression on foreigners. Banh dap is actually a combination of two kinds of rice papers, one white, thin and kind of sticky and the other, dry, crispy and brittle.
Even though the dish looks very simple, you have to learn some rules to eat it in a right way. First, you place a wet pancake on a crispy one. Then apply some mung bean paste and place some fried chopped shallots and shredded spring onion. Lastly, add another dry pancake before breaking the sandwich with the hand.
You have to crack the sandwich once again, this time into two, and dip it into a sauce whose ingredient is mam cai — a kind of fermented and salted fish paste that is native to the central region.
Che bap
A food tour in Hoi An is never complete without sweet beverages, dessert soups and puddings that are collectively known as che in Vietnam. Che in the ancient town comes in small bowls that cost just a few cents at street stalls.
Whether or not you have a sweet tooth, make sure to check out the local sweet corn soup or che bap, especially the one made with corn grown in Cam Nam Ward, considered among the country’s best. Che bap can be eaten hot, cold or with another sweet soup.
Banh beo
Hoi An’s banh beo (steamed rice pancake) is big and thick compared with its Hue cousin. Its topping sauce is also thick, and brick red, a color that comes from achiote or tomato juice added to a mixture of shrimp and pork.
Some sellers add sugar when mixing the flour to make the cakes, and so they are slightly sweet. The idea of sweet combined with the salt and spice of nuoc mam (fish sauce) – the dipping sauce – might turn some people off. But the fact is that many people are hooked after the first bite.
The town’s banh beo also tastes fatty thanks to fried shallot slices, oil and deep-fried cao lau noodles that are used as another topping. The distinctive pancake can be found everywhere in Hoi An, but the best is often at street vendors’ and little eateries.
Quang Noodle
This is the popular country dish in Hoian and Quang Nam. The noodle is yellow or white in color and made from rice flour. It is mixed with shrimp, pork and vegetables, and topped with grilled rice paper and spices. Similar to rice noodle and chicken or pork soup (Hu tieu), My Quang is a variety of Pho (rice noodle soup), because the noodles are made f-rom rice and covered with soup as serving.
Hoanh thanh
If you think you are familiar with hoanh thanh, a Chinese dumpling known as wonton, you may have to think again when eating it in Hoi An, where people make changes here and there so that the popular dish’s flavors become distinct. Like in many other places, hoanh thanh there is served with soup, with or without noodles, or deep-fried. It is the crispy variety that proves how skillfully Hoi An people can add their signature to non-native foods. The hot shrimp dumplings are topped with a kind of slightly sour and spicy sauce consisting of shrimp, char siu pork, and crispy vegetables. You can get good hoanh thanh at Anh Dung eatery at 14 Ba Trieu and Van Loc at 27 Tran Phu.
Banh cuon thit nuong
Banh cuon thit nuong, or wet pancake rolled with grilled pork, is a common dish at restaurants that serve central region foods, including from Hue. However, while in Hoi An, you should check out street stalls along the Hoai River.
The dish is served on a tray consisting of a stack of wet rice pancakes, skewers of charcoal-grilled pork, a dish of fresh herbs and vegetables, and peanut sauce as a dip. With this you can make the rolls by yourself. And do no worry that your rolling skills may be
Banh Xeo
“Banh xeo” is Vietnamese style crepe with whole shrimp, thinly sliced pork and bean sprouts. “Banh xeo” is a popular street snack in Vietnam, especially in the Central and the South of Viet Nam. The name means “sound crepe,” the “ xeo” being an onomatopoeic word for the sound of the cooking process when it hits the hot skillet.
SIGHTSEEINGS INSIDE THE ANCIENT TOWN.
JAPANESE COVERED BRIDGE
The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An is one of the famous tourist attractions in Hoi An, Vietnam. The original Vietnamese name of this bridge is “Lai Vien Kieu”. The word can be interpreted as “Pagoda in Japan”. It is considered that the Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An is a possession of the Japanese community of Hoi An.
FUKIAN ASSEMBLY HALL (PHUC KIEN)
Among the various popular assembly halls in Hoi An, Vietnam, the Fukian Assembly Hall (Phuc Kien), Hoi An is the exceptional one. Hoi An is a small town in Vietnam that is full of excitements and tourist attractions. You must visit this assembly hall to encounter an excellent work of architecture that is also considered as a heritage of historical significance.
TRIEU CHAU ASSEMBLY HALL
This assembly hall was built by Chinese overseas coming f-rom Trieu Chau (China) in 1845. It is dedicated to the God of Wind and Big Waves.
QUANG TRIEU (CANTONESE) ASSEMBLY HALL
The Quang Trieu (Cantonese) Assembly Hall, Hoi An is one of the most famous historical buildings in Hoi An, Vietnam. Along with the historical significance, the hall is also a popular tourist attraction in the small town of Hoi An. While touring the town you must visit this Quang Trieu (Cantonese) Assembly Hall to get the pleasure of viewing this architectural heritage of Vietnam.
THE TRAN FAMILY HOME AND CHAPEL
The Tran Family Home and Chapel, Hoi An is one of those chapels in Hoi An, Vietnam that belong to the early nineteenth century. The chapel is a reflection of Vietnamese aristocracy and it also bears cultural and traditional values in it. To the visitors, The Tran Family Home and Chapel is a famous tourist attraction. People f-rom all over the world come to visit this chapel.
MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE
Hoi An Museum of History and Culture established in 1989, contains 335 exhibits and documents concerning the formation and development of Hoi An. The exhibits include pottery, ceramics, bronze, iron, paper, wood, etc., which are classified into three eras: prehistory, Champa period and Dai Viet period. These phases correspond to Sa Huynh Culture (before the 2nd centuries AD), Champa culture (the 2nd-15th centuries AD) and Dai Viet, Dai Nam Culture (the 16th-19th centuries) respectively.
OLD HOUSE OF TAN KY
The name Old House of Tan Ky itself suggests that the building is one of the remotest historical buildings in Hoi An. The age of the old house is approximately a couple of centuries. The old house reflects the combination of both Japanese and Chinese architectural geniuses. So while visiting the small town Hoi An, in Vietnam, you must also visit this Old House of Tan Ky to encounter great historical and cultural significance of Vietnam.
HOI AN ART AND CRAFT MANUFACTURING WORKSHOP
The Hoi An Art and Craft Manufacturing Workshop is housed in a 200-year-old Chinese trading house. On-site artisans create traditional Vietnamese handicrafts, such as paper and silk lanterns, embroidery, terracotta pottery and fabric weaving. The workshop also has guides that can explain the history of the individual crafts and give insights into the techniques used by the artisans. Catering to the tourist population of Hoi An, the workshop emphasises traditional Vietnamese culture and offers performance shows daily, including dance, music, theatre and song.
SIGHTSEEINGS BEYOND HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN
CUA DAI BEACH
Cua Dai literally means the ‘big sea mouth’. Cua Dai beach is located in the area of Cam An Ward, about 4km to the north-east of Hoi An Town, Quang Nam Province. Cua Dai Beach is over 3km in length and up to 300m in width. The beach boasts fine white sand, clear and blue water, moderate slopes and small waves, which make it ideal for recreational activities like swimming and other sea sports.
THU BON RIVER CRUISE
Thu Bon River flows all the way from Hoi An to the sea at Cua Dai estuary. In the past, this was the entrance for the merchant boats sailing to Hoi An from Cua Dai.
Visitors can rent a boat and stop at the beautiful villages located along the river. Boat will take you toward Cua Dai, where the river flows into the sea. Here you can see lots of amazing fishing nets. Then the boat will take us along the river back to the town. You can see the way local people live along the banks of the river and the many different fishing techniques as we cruise. There are some islets in the middle of the river that local people use for growing corn, peanuts or raising ducks. The scenery will keep your eyes open and make the boat trip back to Hoi An seem much shorter. You will have the best view of Hoi An from the river as the boat takes you back to town, especially at sunset.
KIM BONG CAPENTRY VILLAGE
The carpentry village of Kim Bong belongs to the Cam Kim commune, just on the other side of Hoi An river. Take a boat trip on Thu Bon River to visit Thanh Ha & Kim Bong handicraft Villages. It is very convenient for tourists to visit and collect souvenirs. With the reputation of Kim Bong carpentry, there were many carpenters organized by the King of the Nguyen dynasty in order to build Hue capital. Among them were awarded the nine and eight grades of mandarin positions, chief wooden statue positions etc.
THANH HA POTTERY VILLAGE
Pottery is not just a significant and traditional craft in Vietnam, but also an important means of livelihood. The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An is a famous example in this type of an establishment that aims at furthering tradition as well as employment. The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An is located in the Quang Nam Province in the Thanh Ha ward; Hoi An lies 3 Km to the east of it. The pottery village has a long historical legacy attached to it.
TRA QUE VEGETABLE VILLAGE
Tra Que is a small village located 3km north of Hoi An’s Old Town. Tourists visitting Tra Que Village are often fascinated by watching the farming procedures of local farmers, including: raking the ground, sowing, watering, picking vegetables and many other activities which are rarely seen in modern daily life. Moreover, tourists can listen to people talking about organic farming techniques and try their hand at actual farming. The farmers don’t use chemical or fertilisers but a kind of algae found only in a lagoon in Tra Que. Thanks to this technique, Tra Que herbs and veggies are widely recognized for their quality, safety and especially outstanding taste and flavour. The village has become a very attractive destination for tourists, particularly foreigners. In fact, it is so popular that people wishing to visit the village would have to book a tour in advance. The highlight of the visit is a chance to try their hand at actual farming. You will take a trip around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed f-rom the local lake.
CHAM ISLAND
Lying 18 km offshore from Hoi An, only 1 + 1/4 hour by a junk and 30 minutes by speedboat from Hoi An Town. There are many other interesting attractions for visitors, including fresh seafood, traditional crafts, swimming and sightseeing. Recently important archaeological remains were found and these are now exhibited in a small museum near the main jetty. The island is rich in aquatic resources, with 165 hectares of coral and 500 hectares of sea weeds. The waters around Cu Lao Cham is home to 135 species of coral, four species of tiger shrimp and 84 species of mollusk, many of which are listed in Vietnam’s and the world’s Red Book of endangered species.
Today the Cham islands are also a Marine Protected Area (MPA) because of their many important marine habitants, especially beaches and coral reefs, and rich biodiversity. The MPA includes eight islands; the largest island Hon Lao, features magnificent beaches and forests, the township of Bai Lang, a small harbor, a traditional fishing village (Bai Lang), temples, shrines and a pagoda. Cham Islands, offshore island of Hoi An City has just been recognized as the World Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO.
