Hoi ’An was an important trading hub from the 16th to 19th Century. In 1999, the town’s ancient quarter was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Long ago the town was home to a community of Japanese merchants. In 1663, the Tokugawa Shogun Iemitsu demanded all Japanese cease trading overseas and thus pulled the community back to Japan. These merchants left their mark on the town and overtime the Japanese style mingled with the Chinese influence from the large Chinese community. Fast forward to the days of Indochina and France brought its own style as well. The architecture in itself is worth a visit, but then you add in the tranquil presence of the Thu Bon River, white sand beaches, and the surrounding rice paddies to make Hoi ‘An a joyous part of your Vietnam tour. Of note is the city’s prominence as the tailoring capital of Vietnam. It is possible to have a tailored suit made for around 200 USD. We looked into it, but felt too many of the tailors were geared towards tourists and weren’t offering fair prices.
We arrived in Hoi ‘An without a hitch and were just in time to go down town for dinner before the New Year festivities. Tet is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and is the most important holiday of the year. Many businesses shut down for 3 to 10 days. Before Tet many people who work in the economic powerhouse of Ho Chi Minh City, move north to go back to their home villages. Once home most of their time revolves around eating with loved ones, cleaning the graves of ancestors, and small activities that are believed to bring luck for the New Year and to expel the bad luck from the previous. For example, people will buy a specific type of leaf and wrap them in paper. These leaves will be kept in the home for the entire year. The leaves you buy will determine your luck for the year and absorb bad luck, extracting it from your home. During Tet the leaves from the previous year are burned in an act of burning the bad luck. There is so much superstition around Tet that vendors are also willing to give you better deals in hope that the sale will bring them financial good luck for the year. Prices jump significantly before and after Tet. So if you have your eye on a specific painting, try and buy on the New Year specifically.
We had a wonderful meal at the highly rated Morning Glory Restaurant (try the banana flambé) and then meandered through the crowded streets. People were strolling through the streets with unappetizing meat on sticks, beer, and DIY crafts they had made along the river bank. The mood was palpably festive. There was a large stage set up and performers in traditional Vietnamese dress sang songs and danced for an hour. We negotiated with a small sampan to take us out into the river for the firework show at midnight. It quickly became apparent that our boat wasn’t as seaworthy as others and balancing our weight was important. The show was way more than I had expected from such a small city. We later met a friendly couple from San Francisco who said they saw several of the fireworks fall into the crowd. Unfortunately, this resulted in people being rushed to the hospital.
More on our five days in Hoi'An soon.
We arrived in Hoi ‘An without a hitch and were just in time to go down town for dinner before the New Year festivities. Tet is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and is the most important holiday of the year. Many businesses shut down for 3 to 10 days. Before Tet many people who work in the economic powerhouse of Ho Chi Minh City, move north to go back to their home villages. Once home most of their time revolves around eating with loved ones, cleaning the graves of ancestors, and small activities that are believed to bring luck for the New Year and to expel the bad luck from the previous. For example, people will buy a specific type of leaf and wrap them in paper. These leaves will be kept in the home for the entire year. The leaves you buy will determine your luck for the year and absorb bad luck, extracting it from your home. During Tet the leaves from the previous year are burned in an act of burning the bad luck. There is so much superstition around Tet that vendors are also willing to give you better deals in hope that the sale will bring them financial good luck for the year. Prices jump significantly before and after Tet. So if you have your eye on a specific painting, try and buy on the New Year specifically.
We had a wonderful meal at the highly rated Morning Glory Restaurant (try the banana flambé) and then meandered through the crowded streets. People were strolling through the streets with unappetizing meat on sticks, beer, and DIY crafts they had made along the river bank. The mood was palpably festive. There was a large stage set up and performers in traditional Vietnamese dress sang songs and danced for an hour. We negotiated with a small sampan to take us out into the river for the firework show at midnight. It quickly became apparent that our boat wasn’t as seaworthy as others and balancing our weight was important. The show was way more than I had expected from such a small city. We later met a friendly couple from San Francisco who said they saw several of the fireworks fall into the crowd. Unfortunately, this resulted in people being rushed to the hospital.
More on our five days in Hoi'An soon.
