Thing Hoi An Can Do

In my most recent trip to Hoi An, I realized with amazement and delight that this little town had already been another world, larger, more prosperous, (but a little bit more touristy.) The popular idea that Old Hoi An is confined within the short road leading to Chua Cau is now a thing of the past. To the locals, it might have been a gradual change but to a visitor like me who came back after quite awhile, it was like a storm that passed and left a different face. Fortunately, Hoi An has changed for the better. Sure those with nostalgia may regret its quietness now partly ruined by tourism. They might miss mossy walls and the singing voice of street peddlers echoing on lonely roads. The old quarter is now clogged with curious tourists. At night the town looks cosy and charming with abundant souvenir shops bathing themselves in obsessing yellow light. The road along the river, used to be empty, if not deserted, is now filled with restaurants and shops. People have changed, too. They seem to be more professional in their business. Remember to click on each picture to see a larger version.

But it is the neat town that impressed me the most. And to this aspect, Hoi An is successful. Walking on the sidewalks in Hoi An, you don’t feel the frustration of being deprived of space or disturbed by heaps of goods and parked vehicles as often seen in other cities in Vietnam. Though roads there are narrow as always and motorbikes are accepted in the old quarter, absolutely no mess is found. The town has its own rule to make sure its sidewalks look neat and orderly. And I realised that Hoi An has successfully done what many cities in Vietnam haven’t or can’t. I was in a shop talking with the owner when I heard the sounds of two wooden bars. They came from a handcart selling hoanh thanh mi. Sure you may find this elsewhere in this country but in ancient Hoi An, the image evokes an exotic feeling. I was too late to take a picture of it. It was as if a scene from an old movie...

Tourism has woken this sleeping beauty and turned it into a charming princess.

Links http://www.megite.com/denisehowell/1174561290.htm

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Wanna view more shots of Hoi An? Read More Shots Of Hoi An.

Comments

[Viet Anh]

Cam on Thay da co mot bai viet ve Hoian. That long ma noi thi em thich Hoian rat nhieu. Em da den Hoian lan dau tien tu khi hoc lop 3 va tu do nam nao cung duoc den o choi ca thang vao moi dip he ve. Hoian nho be nhung sach se,nguoi dan rat than thien dac biet khong co canh trom cap nhu o Hue. Thu vi nhat la di bo loanh quanh khu pho, khong so bi lac duong vi tat ca moi con duong deu dan den " La Ma", duong Le Loi.Em rat thich mon Mi quang, Banh trang dap dap o Cam Nam, che Bap o Cam Chau, banh mi nuong o duong Le loi ...tat ca deu rat ngon. Con nha hang thi nen den quan Huong Chau o gan bien Cua Dai.Con neu muon mua qua cho ai do thi co Banh dau xanh rat ngon co ban o duong Le loi,co ca banh dau xanh nhan thit nua..Di tam bien o Hoian rat thich vi bai bien sach se, khong co canh an cap, chen lan ...cu de ao quan tren bai cat, tam thoai mai, chang co ai lay do dac vi vay ma Hoian thu hut rat nhieu khach du lich.
Mot dieu hay hon nua la trong cac khu pho co khong co xe may luu hanh nen kha yen tinh va sach se.
Gia nhu moi noi o Viet Nam deu giong nhu Hoian thi hay biet may.

[dieuduc]

Thầy ơi, bài ni dễ thương lắm. Ở Huế có một ngôi nhà vườn xinh xắn một cách đặc biệt lắm. Nhà nớ ở gần ga Huế, đường Bùi Thị Xuân. Khi mô có thời gian thầy lên thăm và viết một bài đi thầy.

[Tom Murray]

Hoi An competes with Hue as my favorite place in Viet Nam. The basic difference is I have friends in Hue and only know people in Hoi An because of travel there over two summers. Hoi An's beach is exceptional and a reasonable bike ride from the old quarter. The merchants in Hoi An are pleasant and easy going. They are a joy to deal with. Some areas of Viet Nam are far more aggressive and make the exploration of the markets less enjoyable. I have two suits and a pair of hand made and measured shoes from Hoi An. The shoes fit better than any shoes I've ever owned. I wear them a lot.

The streets seem relatively free of noise. You can walk the streets at night with very little traffic at all. The best restaurants are the Green Moss and the Blue Dragon.

Hoi An is a place everyone should visit if in Viet Nam.

[Minh]

Hello,

I have read yours and, say, Hoi An is an successful example of preserving its cultural heritage and the built environment considerably in our country.
To me, Hoi An's community role is extremly important due to their essential performance to the material surroundings, not changing its elements very much under economic pressure and development.
How you think of it? Do you know how they protect and retain those heritage building or assets from your observation?
pls email (vncc_vn@yahoo.com)me if possible.

[violet]

I am really excited about your way of thinking about an ancient town like Hoi An. Through your writing, I may know more about how unique it is. The scene and people mix together to creat a harmonious picture that make us comfortable and peaceful. The higher it has the value of the world heritage, The most inner beaty it contains.