Travelers strive to Hoi An for different reasons. One of the most popular is seeing the Old Town, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Previously, Hoi An was an important trade port, where life was in full swing and the economy was prospering. Today, this place is a bright example of how a small city can preserve its uniqueness, coloring and identity, despite the pressure of the modern world, where everything is being changed rapidly and mercilessly.

Locals gave Hoi An different names. It is a «local Venice», an «open-air house-museum», a «corner of China, Japan and Europe in a Vietnamese province»... It is hard to argue with the names! All the comparisons are fair and perfectly describe that place for those, who have never been there.

The picturesque streets of the Old Town reflect the mixture of different cultures, which have long existed closely and have contributed to the development and appearance of Hoi An. There you can see more than 1100 original buildings. Among them, there are majestic temples, as well as modest private houses. Every construction with a preserved historical appearance is considered to be an architectural monument. The fact that the initial plan of the Old Town streets has been left unchanged is also highly important.

The most pleasant and convenient way to get familiar with the architecture and atmosphere of Hoi An is a boat trip by a gondola across its fascinating canals. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the breath-taking views of brightly yellow facades with traditional elements. Pay attention to bridges – this is a separate kind of architectural art!

After the sunset, when traditional Chinese lanterns illuminate the streets of the Old Town, walking across Hoi An becomes especially attractive. Although several interesting museums are open for visiting there, you will barely want to leave the cozy quarters of the ancient port.

One of the brightest and most interesting attractions of the Hoi An Old Town is a Japanese bridge, built in the 18th century. Since then and up till now it has been an important symbol of the Vietnamese port, where the unique historical architecture is of high value.

The Japanese bridge is decorated with stone statues of animals from both sides. On one side, there are two dogs, on the other – two monkeys. These animals are connected with traditional Chinese horoscope, which has a significant meaning in the local culture. Thus, architects wanted to show that the building of the Japanese bridge started during the year of the Dog and was finished in the year of the Monkey.