123
7hr
The former harbor town of the Champa people at the estuary of the Thu Bon river was an important Vietnamese trading center in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled down. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. During the French colonial period (1883 – 1945), it was called Faifo. Originally Hai Pho was a divided town, because across the “Japanese Bridge”, it used to be the Japanese settlement (16th – 17th century). The bridge (Chua Cau) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.
The town is known to the French and Spanish as Faifo, and by similar names in Portuguese and Dutch. A number of theories have been put forth as to the origin of this name. Some scholars have suggested that it comes from the word “Hai pho” meaning “sea town”, while others have said that it seems more likely to simply be a shortening of Hoi An pho, “the town of Hoi An”, to “Hoi pho” which became “Faifo”.
In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.
Today, Hoi An is still a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, also being a well-established place on the backpacker trail. Many visits to the numerous art and craft shops and tailors, who produce made-to-measure clothes. Dinner, Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An.
Join the National Highway 1 and head up the Hai Van Pass (Cloudy Pass) stop in Da Nang for lunch before getting the World Heritage site of Hoi An, a major trading center in SE Asia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Arrive in Hoi An around noon time, tour ends. We really suggest you stay in Hoi An for 1 or 2 days before you get back to Hanoi or continue your journey further in the Central.