HISTORY
The small town of Hoi An is on the coast of the South China Sea in central Vietnam and offers the diverse attractions of a tropical landscape, the river and the sea alongside real cultural diversity.
Hoi An was an important trading post during the 16th and 17th centuries, drawing traders from China, Japan and the west. Many of these people settled in the town and the buildings reflect a unique blend of local and foreign influences. The town is so well preserved that in 1999 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site.
In its early days, the town was divided, with a Japanese settlement on one side. The bridge built at that time is still standing, a unique covered structure, built by the Japanese but with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.