Hoi An
Along the banks of the Thu Bon River, Hoi An’s lanterns still illuminate this former major trading port in central Vietnam.
Hoi An’s Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, it was one of Southeast Asia’s most important trading ports.
At dusk, the pace of life in Hoi An changes. The yellow facades take on a warmer hue, lanterns glow above the narrow streets, and the Thu Bon River begins to reflect dozens of flickering lights.
Few Vietnamese cities convey such an immediate sense of historical continuity. Here, wooden houses, Chinese temples, and old merchant houses still form an almost intact historic cityscape.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An emerged as a major trading hub in Southeast Asia. Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and other European merchants came here to trade silk, ceramics, spices, and precious woods. This era of prosperity left behind a unique city, where different architectural influences blend together without ever completely merging.
Some streets are reminiscent of the Chinese ports of Fujian, while others retain Japanese or European influences.
The famous Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the late 16th century, remains a powerful symbol of this meeting of worlds.
Then, the river gradually silted up. Maritime trade shifted to Da Nang, and Hoi An entered a long period of relative decline. Paradoxically, this economic downturn proved to be a blessing: the town escaped large-scale modern development and destruction, preserving much of its historic urban fabric.
Even today, despite the influx of tourists, the low-rise houses, inner courtyards, and traditional shop signs create the feeling of a town that has remained on a human scale.
Hoi An’s true charm often reveals itself early in the morning. Before the tour groups arrive and the evening lanterns are lit, locals set up their markets, wash the sidewalks, and cycle through the streets in the soft morning light.
The river shapes the entire town. It brings humidity, shimmering reflections, and that distinctive, unhurried rhythm of old Asian river ports. Beyond the town, the surrounding countryside extends the landscape with rice paddies, fishing villages, and groves of water palms.
Hoi An also boasts a vibrant artisan culture. Tailors, lantern makers, carpenters, and culinary workshops still occupy the historic center.
Although some of this activity now caters to tourism, it maintains a tangible connection to the town’s mercantile past. Its heritage is not simply frozen in time; it continues to produce objects, preserve traditional practices, and pass on generations of craftsmanship.
And so, what travelers from Vietnam American Heroes take away from their discovery of Hoi An is not simply the image of its colorful lanterns.
Above all, it is the rare impression of an ancient Asian town that remains remarkably legible, where commercial, maritime, and everyday history can still be read in the streets, the facades, and in the way, light moves between the river and the houses.