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Hoi An is located 30km south of Danang City, and 60 kms northeast of Tam Ky. Hoi An used to be an international trade center by sea on the eastwest area in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the busiest trading port in Dang Trong region of Vietnam under the reign of Nguyen as merchants from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Holland...often landed for exchanging, purchasing commodities. In the historical progress of establishment and development, Hoi An was known by foreign merchants as Faifo, Haisfo, Hoai pho. Based on archeological relics and architecture documents, Hoi An was not only a place of converge and exchanging of many cultures such as: Champa, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese, especially impacted most by Vietnamese and Chinese civilisations.
Up to now, the ancient town of Hoi An intactly preserves its original architectures, including houses, temples, pogodas, streets, ports, civil buildings, religious structures and other non-religious worshipping structures. The every day lifestyle with deep-rooted customs and cultural activities is fascinating.
Hoi An also attracts tourists thanks to its poetic and picturesque landscapes such as Thuan Tinh islet, Cua Dai beach, together with traditional handicrafts and famous local specialities.
Hoi An was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in December 1999. As statistic shows, in Hoi An there are 1,360 relics and landscapes. These relics are divided into eleven kinds, including 1,068 ancient houses, 19 pagodas, 43 temples, 23 communal houses, 38 family temples, 5 assembly halls, 11 old wells, one bridge, 44 ancient tombs. In old quarter, there are more than 1000 relic sites.
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