A lantern-lit trading port on the Thu Bon River
Hoi An was a busy trading port from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and its compact Ancient Town, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves the ochre shophouses, Chinese assembly halls and wooden merchant houses of that era. The Japanese Covered Bridge is its emblem. In the evening, silk lanterns light the streets and small candle boats drift on the Thu Bon River. By day, cycle out through rice paddies to An Bang beach, have clothes made by a tailor, and eat cao lau noodles, a local speciality.