Vietnamese tourists who are fed up with traffic congestion in major cities in the country, and foreign visitors who are overwhelmed by speeding

A local vendor assists a foreign visistor to se-lect souvenir items at the night bazaar by the poetic Thu Bon River

motorcycles on the Vietnamese road will certainly feel at peace and relaxed when they step into the streets of central Hoi An at night. The town turns busier and livelier in the nighttime as visitors go for a stroll around town.

 

What’s most striking at night is the bright light beamed out by the silk lanterns of diverse colors hung on the façades or doorways of the wooden houses, stores or restaurants topped with moss-covered roof tiles.
Tourists on the bicycle or cyclo wheels are common sights at night as motorcycles are off-limits to the center of the culturally rich town.

 

A Hoi An resident sells skill lanterns of multiple colors at the night bazaar, which can be used as lovely gifts for family and friends

Hungry souls can look for some cozy restaurants whe-re they should taste some tasty local delicacies like Cao Lau and Wonton in addition to Western foods. Cao Lau is a spicy rice noodle soup served with pork, fresh herbs and veggies while Wonton originating in China is a delicacy made f-rom rice flour and filled with pork, shrimp, egg and spices. Or they should have a round of drinks there, looking at people going up and down the street.
Hoi An is also particular in a sense that it is home to numerous tailors who offer made-to-measure suits and dresses.

The country has undergone a lot of changes in the past decade but Hoi An has remained untouched and successfully preserved its traditional features as a harbor town that used to be an important trading center of the nation whe-re merchant ships f-rom Japan, China, the Netherlands, India and Spain visited in the 16th and 17th centuries.