Old Town Hội An, the city’s historic district, is recognized as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century, its buildings and street plan reflecting a blend of indigenous and foreign influences. Prominent in the city’s old town is its covered “Japanese Bridge“, dating to the 16th–17th century. Hội An is one of the locations set in the opera “Princess Anio.”
In 1999 the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a blend of local and foreign influences. According to the UNESCO Impact Report 2008 on Hội An, there are challenges for stakeholders to protect the heritage from tourism. Owing to the increased number of tourists visiting Hoi An a variety of activities are emerging that allow guests to get out of the old quarter and explore by motorbike, bicycle, kayak, or motorboat. The Thu Bon River is still essential to the region more than 500 years after António de Faria first navigated it and it remains an essential form of food production and transport. As such kayak and motorboat rides are becoming an increasingly common tourist activity. This longtime trading port city offers a distinctive regional cuisine that blends centuries of cultural influences from East and Southeast Asia. Hoi An hosts a number of cooking classes where tourists can learn to make Cao lầu or braised spiced pork noodle, a signature dish of the city. The Hoi An wreck, a shipwreck from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, was discovered near the Cham Islands, off the coast of the city in the 1990s. Between 1996 and 1999, nearly three hundred thousand artifacts were recovered by the excavation teams, that included the Vietnamese National Salvage Corporation and Oxford University’s Marine Archaeology Research Division. Another attraction is the Hoi An Lantern Full Moon Festival taking place every full moon cycle. The celebrations honour the ancestors. People exchange flowers, lanterns, candles, and fruits for prosperity and good fortune. The Hoi An Memories Show, performed at the Hoi An Impression Theme Park, is a large-scale outdoor theatrical performance that showcases the city’s 400-year history. The show features over 500 performers on a 25,000-square-meter stage, depicting Hoi An’s transformation from a rural village into a major Southeast Asian trading port. In 2019, Hoi An was listed as one of Vietnam’s key culture-based tourist areas where rampant tourism growth “threatens the sustainability”. Excessive tourism in the past has also damaged the eco-system of Chàm Islands-Hội An Marine Protected Area.
The city has four museums highlighting the history of the region. These museums are managed by the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation. Entrance to the museum is permitted with a Hoi An Entrance Ticket. The Museum of History and Culture, at 13 Nguyen Hue St, was originally a pagoda, built in the 17th century by Minh Huong villagers to worship the Guanyin, and is adjacent to the Guan Yu temple. It contains original relics from the Sa Huynh, Champa, Dai Viet and Dai Nam periods, tracing the history of Hoi An’s inhabitants from its earliest settlers through to French colonial times. The Hoi An Folklore Museum, at 33 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, was opened in 2005, and is the largest two-storey wooden building in the old town, at 57m long and 9m wide, with fronts at Nguyen Thai Hoc St and Bach Dang St. On the second floor, there are 490 artifacts, organised into four areas: plastic folk arts, performing folk arts, traditional occupations and artifacts related to the daily life of Hoi An residents. The Museum of Trade Ceramics is located at 80 Tran Phu Street, and was established in 1995, in a restored wooden building, originally built around 1858. The items originating from Persia, China, Thailand, India and other countries are proof of the importance of Hội An as a major trading port in South East Asia. The Museum of Sa Huỳnh Culture, is located at 149 Tran Phu Street. Established in 1994, this museum displays a collection of over 200 artifacts from the Sa Huỳnh culture—considered to be the original settlers on the Hội An site—dating to over 2000 years ago. This museum is considered to be the most unusual collection of Sa Huỳnh artefacts in Vietnam. The Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum is located at 26 Phan Boi Chau. It includes a 500m² display of photos and artifacts collected by Réhahn during the past 10 years of the French photographer’s explorations of Vietnam. The Hội An Museum, is a history museum located at 10B Trần Hưng Đạo.
According to CNN, Hoi An is the “banh mi capital of Vietnam.” Banh Mi is a type of Vietnamese sandwich, consisting of a baguette, pâté, meats and fresh herbs. Com ga (chicken rice) is a signature dish. Made with fragrant broth-cooked rice, poached or shredded chicken, topped with scallion oil, fried shallots, and a tangy fish sauce dip. Often served with soup or pickles. Cao lầu is a signature dish of the town, consisting of rice noodles, meat, greens, bean sprouts, and herbs, most commonly served with a small amount of broth, with a strong resemblance to Japanese udon.> The water for the broth has been traditionally taken from the Ba Le Well, thought to have been built in the 10th century by the Chams. Other regional specialties include Mi quang noodles, Banh bao banh vac, Hoanh thanh, com ga (chicken with rice), bánh xèo, sweet corn soup and baby clam salad are also regional specialties. Chili sauce, Ớt Tương Triều Phát, is also produced locally. In addition, herbal teas with natural ingredients such as licorice, cinnamon, chamomile, lemongrass, etc. It is also a popular local drink among tourists.
