So Much More than Pho — The Quaint Ancient Town of Hoi An

Between the 2nd to the 10th centuries, Hoi An was a bustling seaport of the Champa Kingdom. Both My Son and Hoi An within its bounds, the Quang Nam province once belonged to the Champa King. A dispute arose between the Champa kingdom and Vietnam broke out, and between the 14th and 15th centuries Hoi An was the bone of contention. Vietnam claimed that a former Champa King has granted this area to Vietnam as gift for his marrying of a Vietnamese princess. His successor refused to honor the terms, thus causing a century-long fight.

Peace finally came. Beginning in the 15th century, Hoi An became an international trading port that thrived by the Thu Bon River. This encouraged the presence of the world’s trading nations in Hoi An, including the Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Indians, British, French, American and more.

The Chinese and Japanese traders were particularly prominent in Hoi An. They have left a presence by the many beautiful structures that stand to this day. Ancestral halls, temples, traders’ assembly, and all kinds of infrastructures are testaments to the city’s roots as a trading port and the international character that followed. Indeed, these structures are well-preserved as the UNESCO has decreed some eight hundred historical buildings in Hoi An as protected heritage.

he Thu Bon River was Hoi An’s life line. Until the late 19th century, when it silted. Hoi An’s fate thus turned upside down as the sea and river entries to trading closed. Danang then rose in its place as the preeminent trading port.




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#historicallandmarks#历史古迹#世界遗产

Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Feb 25, 2025