Vietnam Travel Ancient town of Hoi An
Festivals and events
Whale Festival : This festial is not only celebrated as an act of respect for the spirits, but also linked with the prosperity of fishermen villages. The festival takes place during two days in the middle of the 3rd lunar month every year. Long Chu Festival : This festival is organized by residents of coastal villages around Hoi An to chase evil spirits and epidemics at the turn of seasons. The festival takes place on the 15th of the 7th lunar month every year. The procession of the long chu ( dragon decorated boat ) made of bamboo, paper, and cloth leaving the communal house in direction of the wharf is very popular. Madam Thu Bon festival : Every year, on the 12th of the 2nd lunar month, the population of the Thu Bon organizes festival in honor of Madam Thu Bon, also called Madam Bo Bo. Apart from the ceremonies, boat races and hat boi ( Vietnamese traditional opera ) performances take place.
Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi an Tourist attraction
Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An is a riverside town 30 km south of Danang. Known as Faifo to early Western traders, it was one of the South-East Asia’s major international ports during the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries.Today, Hoi An is a quiet town of about 75,000 people – 12, 000 of them living in the old quarter that has been restored and renovated as something of a historical showpiece for tourists. Many of the older homes, built with wood beams, carved doors and airy, open rooms, have been turned into sourvenir shops fronting asmuseums. In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.The oldest part of town is in the southern section, bordering the Th Bon River. le LOi street was the first street to be built, four centuries ago.The Japanese quarter, with its covered bridge, Japanese style shops and houses, followed half a century later, followed by the Cantonese quater in another 50 years. Until now Hoi An is still a small harbour town, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, also being a well-established place on the backpacker trail.
Cham Island
Cham Island ( Culao Cham ) is in the south China sea 21km from Hoi An, by boatthe trip takes about two hours. The island is famous as a source of swifts’ nests, which are exported to Hong Kong, Singapore and elsewhere for use in bird’s nest soup. Both foreigners and Vietnamese need authorisation to visit the island because attempts to flee the country have been disguised as excursions to Cham Island. A motorised ferry to Cham Island’s two fishing villages departs from the Hoang Van Thu Street Dock. Scuba diving is one possible form of entertainment here. You can get a permit for fishing.
Japanese Covered Bridge
Japanese Covered Bridge
The covered bridge, also known as the Pagoda Bridge and the Japanese Covered Bridge, was built in the 16th century. On the northern side of the bridge is a Japanese pagoda to protect sailors. The statues of two dogs are located at the western end of the bridge and two monkey at the eastern end. It is said that the construction of the bridge started in the year of the monkey and finished in the year of the dog, according to Chinese calendar. Over centuries, the design of the bridge has remained faithful to the original Japanese design.
Quan Cong Temple
Quan Cong Temple, also known as Chua Ong, is at 24 Tran Phu street. Found in 1653, this Chinese temple is dedicated to Quan Cong in the central altar at the back of the sanctuary. On the left is a statue of General Chau Xuong, one of Quan Cong’s guardians, striking a tough-guy pose. On the right is the rather plump administrative mandarin Quan Binh. The life-size white horse recalls a mount ridden by Quan Cong until he was given a red horse of extraordinary endurance, representations of which are common in Chinese pagodas. Stone plaques on the wall list contributors to the construction and repair of the temple. Check out the carp-shaped rain spouts on the roof surrounding the courtyard. The carp, symbol of patience in Chinese mythology, is a popular symbol in Hoi An.
Tra Kieu Citadel ( Simhapura )
Simhapura ( Tra Kieu), the Lion Citadel, was the first capital city of Champa, serving in that capacity from the 4th to the 8th centuries. Today, nothing remains of the city except the rectangular ramparts. A large number of artefacts, including some of the finest carvings in the Cham Museum in Danang, were found here. You can get a good view of the city’s outlines from the Mountain Church ( Nha Tho Nui ), which is on the top of Buu Chau Hill in Tra Kieu. This modern open-air structure was built in 1970 to replace an earlier church destroyed by time and war. A Cham tower once stood on this spot. Simhapura is about 500 metres to the south and south-west of the hilltop.
My son Holy land
My Son Holy Land
My Son Holy land is a valley located approximately 10 km west of Tra Kieu. Several temples, among which the biggest in the Champa Kingdom, and more than 70 constructions made of bricks and stone were built between the 7th and the 13th century in accordance with different architectural styles, showing how talented Champa artists were. My Son has been compared with other famous sites of South East Asia such as Angkor, Borobudur, Vatphu,and Pagan. The main temples are devoted to protector of the Champa Kings. People also worship the spirit of Bhadresvara, who founded the first dynasty of Kings of the Amavarati region towards the end of the 4th century.
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