Why visit Hoi An

Rich in history and culture, Hoi An has remained a well-preserved model of a traditional Vietnam port city of an earlier era. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site, it remains a charming, small riverside town with its history intact.

Hoi An was historically the seat of the mighty Champa Kingdom, Lin-yi founded the kingdom in the 2nd century and it existed all the way up to the 17th century when it fell to the Viet people. Hoi An soon rose to prominence as one of Southeast Asia's most significant seaports and its largest harbour. From this point on, the Champa took control of the lucrative spice trade, which greatly increased the city's riches, making Hoi An, a significant station along the silk road, quickly rising to the top of the spice and silk trade, expanding its influence all the way to Baghdad. Once the city fell to the Viet it continued to be settled by the Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indians over the following centuries until it was back into Viet hands.

Hoi An is now a well-liked holiday / vacation spot that draws travelers to this delightful city by its stunning old structures and architecture, peaceful small roads (cars and motorcycles are generally prohibited from its streets), numerous craft stores selling regional textiles and pottery, and its history as an important harbour. Additionally, the town is known as the tailoring capital of Vietnam where hundreds of talented tailors produce high-quality, customized garments.

This area of Vietnam, centered around Hoi An, is where you can enjoy life at a more leisurely pace than in other parts of the country but there are a few places to check out if you are wanting to actually do something during your visit like:

1. The Marble Mountains nearby provide a taste of excitement, with lots of chances for hiking and bicycling.
   
2. The wonderful long stretch of China Beach nearby offers white sands and turquoise waters for the best water adventures around.
   
3. Sitting peacefully by the riverbanks and taking in the laid-back ambiance are other highlights of the city.
   
4. Most importantly, Hoi An is a top stop on any Vietnam tour thanks to its peaceful streets, museums, merchant homes, and adjacent My Son. My Son, is found in the spiritual centre of the Champa (Hoi An is the areas commercial hub).
   

My Son, which was once home to magnificent Hindu temples and the royal burial grounds of the Champa dynasty. It is sometimes very easy to see why it is compared to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and some even say the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Originally built in the 4th century, it fell into ruins after the kingdom's collapse before the French restored it in the 1930's then it was destroyed again during the Vietnam War.