Hello 😊I’m Smiling Star, nice to meet you again.
What is it about Hoi An that makes me still want to go there again even though I’ve been there twice? Hoi An is a famous ancient town of Quang Nam province in Central Vietnam. The old town is still almost intact with many architectural relics from streets, houses, assembly halls, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, clan churches, ancient wells,… to traditional dishes. Among them, there are dishes such as: Cao Lau, wontons, Quang noodles, Hoi An chicken rice, green bean cake. The people here are friendly, making you feel at home. The first time I came to Hoi An was in 2021 and the second time was in August 2023. My general feeling when coming to Hoi An twice, this place is really beautiful. Every time I go there is always a crowd of tourists. The first time I came to Hoi An, I bought a tour ticket and visited three places. Covered Bridge is my first choice, considered a pearl in the heart of Hoi An, the pagoda spans a creek flowing into the Thu Bon River. Covered Bridge has a long history of more than 400 years and is famous for its unique architecture combining Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Western. The bridge was built as a talisman to suppress sea monsters to protect the people here. Inside the bridge worships Bac Than Tran Vu, who specializes in controlling storms and floods and is the god who brings joy and happiness to everyone. Almost every tourist who comes to Hoi An ancient town comes here to check in. Next, visit Tan Ky Ancient House, an ancient house honored to become a National Heritage and the only place to welcome heads of state and politicians at home and abroad. The ancient house combines Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture. The house’s harmonious architecture speaks to the dream of harmony between people and nature in Hoi An. The Assembly Hall has a number of Assembly Halls such as Fujian, Chaozhou, and Guangdong (choose one of the Assembly Halls and visit, the tour ticket will have 3 locations: Covered Bridge, Ancient House, and Assembly Hall). I chose to visit the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. This is the place to worship Thien Hau Thanh Mau and the guardian gods of rivers, money, children, ancestors and is the place to meet and help each other of Fujian people who came to Hoi An the earliest and most crowded at that time. hour. Ah! Do you know how much is the Japanese Covered Bridge printed on Vietnamese banknotes? 😊 It is printed in a banknote worth 20,000 VND. After visiting the above 3 places, I did not forget to take a walk around the Old Town, going to places that are loved by many young people such as Golden Lane, 92 Station coffee shop with a view from above to see the whole thing. Old Quarter. We saved pictures when we arrived in Hoi An. After that, I wanted to experience boating on the Hoai River, but when I went to the wharf to ask about boat services, the competition, offers, and price pressures made me feel dissatisfied. So I decided not to go on the boat anymore. Tuesday is the only day of the week when the Hoi An Memories show is not performed, so I felt regretful. The second time I came to Hoi An, at this time the Covered Bridge had been dismantled and was being restored, expected to be completed within 365 days. The situation of forcing tourists to get on boats on the Hoai River no longer exists. Now, anyone who wants to ride the boat can buy the tickets listed at the ticket counter. Then go straight to the boat, a trip like that takes about 20 minutes to see the old town, take photos, pray and release lanterns are the activities when I go on the boat. Because the last time we came here we didn’t get to see the Hoi An Memories show, so after taking the boat ride we went to Hoi An Impression Park to watch the Hoi An Memories show. The show lasts about 1 hour and includes 5 parts: Recreating the picture of ordinary people’s activities at that time – Recreating the wedding of Princess Huyen Tran of Vietnam and King Che Man of Champa – Recreating the scene of the woman woman waiting at the pier for her lover to return – Recreating the bustling commercial port scene – Ao Dai performance => end of the program. After watching it, I felt great. The show is like a time ship going back 400 years into the past, elaborately choreographed with an impressive script recreating historical moments and events. The majestic, large-scale outdoor stage with the participation of about 500 actors, lighting, sound, dance, and acting all create a beautiful picture. I feel proud that Vietnam has such a show. If I have the chance, I still want to go to Hoi An and watch this program again with my family.
Above are my memorable experiences when coming to Hoi An.
How about you? Have you been to Hoi An yet? If you have been here, what do you like and dislike about coming to this place? I will continue to share my other experiences in the next articles. Thank you to those who took the time to read my article among the many better articles out there.
Wish everyone a happy day 😊
# smiling star 😊
