evfn - YourView

[cosmictravel]

Hoi An is an old town of narrow streets, lined with resturants and pretty guesthouses. It is a great place to visit, that has a history of a bustling port in which Chinese and Japanese merchants traded silk and porcelain with Indians and Europeans.

It is a Unesco World Heritage cultural site and since 1999 and has been substantially renovated,with the old town blossoming with a new self belief and energy.

Walking around you can see the influences from China and latterly shaped by the French. Chinese and Japanese merchants made its fortune, setting up waterfront trading houses that developed into expatriate colonies. The Japanese however, disappeared during the 17th century after the Shogunate withdrew into isolation while the Chinese continue to expand. Dutch traders come in and were joined by French missionaries.

Now is the right time to visit before it turns into a gaudy theme park. Today it gets the balance right with everyday Vietnamese life and controlled touristifcation.