A perfect day walk in Hoi An Vietnam

Ancient wooden buildings and cobblestone streets greet visitors to this slow-paced town situated along the Thu Bon River. With a population of around 120,000, this is not a large city, and the old town has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1999. Strolling the streets of the district that was a trading port from the 15th to the 19th century, with a guide was an ideal way to learn more about the historical and present-day times.

Temple Bridge

The Temple Bridge is the most popular spot for taking photographs. Built in the 17th century, the bridge linked the Chinese side of town with the Japanese side of town. For a small toll fee (still charged to this day), vendors could trade in a side room on the bridge. It took three years to complete and is in the style of a Chinese pagoda. A statue on the Chinese side is of a monkey, and the statue on the Japanese side is of a dog. It is thought that these statues keep a way evil and prevent floods from coming.

a bridge over a river was built in the 17th century. It is a wooden structure on brick pylons, built to resemble a pergoda.

The Chinese Assembly Hall and temple

The first family came from China to Hoi An in the 17th century and built a temple and assembly hall which people can visit today. Our guide detailed the story of their arrival, as well as pointing out features, such as the three entry gates. One gate for the men and one for the women. The sexes were definitely segregated in those early days. The central door was opened only during ceremonies.

A wall with three gates, all decorated in Chinese motives and Chinese statues allows visitors access into the temple area. The three gates are metal, and the walls are red brick with white around the painted arched doorways. In the centre above the central door is a smal pagoda with a central arch and more Chinese statues of Gods and animals.

In the grounds are various statues of Gods and Goddesses, including the Ocean Goddess. This was very important to the Chinese as Hoi An was a commercial port. There is even a panorama display of the Great Wall of China in the gardens.

At a cost of $25USD, anyone can purchase one of the incense circles that hang from the roof. It takes around a month to fully burn down. On the attached tags are written people's names and what it is that they are praying for. Happiness is the most common prayer request of women, and longevity is the most common request of men. Other requests were for healthy children, good life, safety and money.

a red coiled incense burner hangs from the roof of the chinese temple. It has a yellow tag hanging down in the middle with Vietnamese writing on it in both red and black ink. The coil is large and cylindrical and could fit over a persons head.

Old Buildings

The French occupied Vietnam from 1858 to 1954 and their architectural influence still shows in the buildings around the old town.

a two story building in a French style. Yellow painted walls have bright blue shutters on the upstairs and downstairs windows as well as the doors. The frames are painted white. Green foliage grows up the side of the building. People sit on seats on the sidewalk of the cafe and the street signs are in Vietnamese.

An interesting feature in some the double story old houses is the square hole between the bottom and top floors. When the river floods, the downstairs furniture and fittings is hauled up to the top floor for safe keeping. A pulley system is used to raise and lower the goods. The hole also provided ventilation during the humid wet season.

an old wooden two storey dwelling, a balcony is on the first floor. Red lanterns are hung on both the upper and lower verandah. The central door downstairs has large windows on either side, both with plantation shutters. This house has been standing here for around three hundred years.

On the first floor inside the wooden house, a square is cut into the floor. A wooden rail surrounds it and a pulley hangs from a beam near the roof above. This is to haul up furniture and goods when it floods downstairs.

Silk Hand Embroidery

A designed from a picture or photo is transferred to a fabric canvas and hand embroidered with silk by talented artists.

a young woman hand embroiders silk onto a fabric background. It is a scene of boats on a river, all in blacks and greys.

They are incredibly detailed and true works of art. The average time to complete a picture is around one and half months. The design of an old lady smoking took 12 months to complete, with the creator working eight hours a day, five days a week. It measures 55 x 70 cm and costs $USD1,200.

on a silk embroidered picture is an old Vietnamese woman smoking a pipe. Worked in greys, whites and blacks on a black background, you can see the thoughtful eyes as she has the pipe stem between her teeth. Her face is filled with glorious wrinkles, and her white hair peaks out from beneath a scarf on her head.

There are so many beautiful silk embroidered creations here, and my favourites were the works featuring Vietnamese people. There is something striking and appealing in the wisdom on these aged faces. If only we knew the stories that each wonderful wrinkle could tell!

On a black background is the silk embroidered wrinkled face and hands of an old Vietnamese woman. Her eyes look to the sky, her hands on either side of her face. She looks as if she is dreaming of glorious bygone days. The colours are mainly browns and skin toned tans.

Silk Factory

In the silk factory we could see the different stages of silkworms growing. These amazing creatures eat only mulberry leaves. Between five days old and 18 days old there is rapid growth. At 24 days old they no longer eat and are placed on a frame. They are placed in hot water, and around one continuous 500m strand of silk is gathered from one cocoon. Twenty strands combine to make one string of silk. For a softer silk, they combine four strands. Custom made silk clothing can be ordered on the premises, made and delivered to your hotel in one day. There are many different tailors in the city who can custom make clothes from XS to XXXL, for both men and women. Downstairs there are two weaving looms. One is a more modern electric version, and the other is a loom is from the 17th century that is still being used to make 30 metres of silk a day. It is a very noisy contraption as it shuttles the thread backwards and forwards to produce beautiful cloth.

Two wicker baskets hold eighteen day old silk worms feeding on mulberry leaves. The worms are white and about a forefinger in length.

Street vendors

The variety of items you can buy at the stores and stands in the town is amazing. Sunglasses, food, cards, hats etc. Vendors wander the streets hoping to catch your eye and sell to you. Stop in one spot for any length of time and you will be asked to purchase their goods. A polite refusal is accepted almost every time. Cash is the most accepted form of payment, and only a few of the permanent shops offer credit card facilities.

a street scene where a lady is seated at a small stool, different vegetables on round plates in front of her. She is selling these vegetables to passers by.

Locals make items to sell in any empty doorway or curb around the streets. Visitors can buy their wares, knowing it was made by a local, not mass produced and imported from overseas.

A Vietnamese local makes small wooden Vietnamese figures from wood on the curb of the street. His hand written sign proclaims they are handmade, and he is in the process of making another one.

For brave souls, or just those wanting to eat like a local, street vendors sell a variety of Vietnamese food. They even provide little stools for you to sit and eat at. I do have to honestly say I saw very few Westerners sitting and eating at these sidewalk stalls, most were Asian people. Are Westerners worried about the hygiene of eating this way? It made me wonder.

on the side of a street squats a Vietname lady selling food. Locals are sitting on stools eating next to her. Her sign announced the seven different dishes on offer.

Restaurants

Of course, there are many, many restaurants with tables and chairs, both indoor and outdoor seating. Most are well placed with views over the river. These are lovely places to dine at night overlooking the lit boats on the river. People are spoilt in Hoi An when it comes to food choices. I dined with fellow travelers one night and simply asked the waitress to serve the most popular dishes. We were delighted in both the taste and presentation of the local vegetable rolls. At some of the restaurants in town, they offer cooking classes where you can learn to make these Vietnamese delights.

four fried spring rolls sit on a plate with green foliage for decoration and orange flowers. Another plate holds wrapped vegetable rolls, 4 of them with similar decorations. Another plate holds six small bowls of various dipping sauces.

Shopping

Of course, one of the main reasons to visit Hoi An old town is for the shopping. I was delighted to have a pair of leather boots handmade for me. In less than 24 hours, my feet and had been measured and the boots made and delivered. I can honestly say that I have never had a pair of more comfortable footwear in my life and have been wearing the boots almost every day since on my travels. My regret is that I didn't buy a second pair. But then, this is a great reason to visit Hoi An again.

Leather goods are cheap to purchase in Vietnam and of good quality. The variety of goods is extensive. I do regret that I never had enough room in my suitcase for more purchases.

backpacks, travel bags, wallets, belts and boots, all in various colours and shades of browns, blues and yellows. These leather goods are sturdy and durable.

My two-hour tour covered a lot of the interesting stories of buildings, people and history. A local guide knows the "secrets" and can recommend the best shops and restaurants as well as being able to translate for you. After my tour, I was free to roam the town for the rest of the day and night. I could then explore this wonderfully vibrant town on my own and discover my own joyful "secrets."