Hoi An old town

Ancient Town of Hoi An

By Francisco Morais

August 22^nd, 2019

Hội An is a city that feels suspended in time. Once a bustling port on the Thu Bồn River, it flourished between the 15th and 19th centuries as merchants from China, Japan, and later Europe traded silk, ceramics, and spices. When the river silted up in the late 19th century, the town’s decline preserved what makes it remarkable today: a historic core of timber-framed houses, tiled roofs, and narrow streets that remain almost unchanged for centuries.

Hội An is not only about preservation but also about continuity. Families still live in the same houses that once served as merchant shops, and the grid of streets still follows the logic of trade — storefronts facing the road, back doors opening to the river for loading goods. The town’s UNESCO recognition has brought crowds, but its essence remains: a place where history is not only remembered but lived.

Walking through the Old Town is like stepping into a living museum. Rows of ochre-colored houses line pedestrian streets, their wooden beams carved with traditional motifs. The Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 18th century, still arches gracefully over a small canal, while Chinese assembly halls and family temples stand as reminders of the communities that shaped the town. The architecture is a fusion — Vietnamese foundations layered with Chinese, Japanese, and European influences — a rare survival of a cosmopolitan trading hub in Southeast Asia.

Markets and river life keep Hội An from becoming a static relic. The central market buzzes with vendors selling herbs, lanterns, and fresh produce, while the riverfront fills with boats offering rides at sunset. In the evenings, the town transforms: lanterns glow in every doorway, casting warm light on the streets, and the Thu Bồn River shimmers with floating candles set adrift for luck. It is both theatrical and intimate, a ritual that draws visitors but also continues as a local tradition.