Quang Nam visitors’ guide HOI AN - MY SON - CHAM ISLAND First edition Hoi An Tourism Information Office: Address: 45 Le Loi street, Tel: +84 5103 910919 Hoi An Tourist Guide Office: Address: 05 Hoang Dieu Street, Tel: +84 5103 861159 Ha Noi Office My Son Management Board: Office of the Representative to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Address: Duy Phu commune, Tel: +84 5103 731757 United Nations Văn phòng Hà Nội Educational, Scientific and Văn phòng Đại diện tại nước Cultural Organization Cộng hòa Xã hội Chủ nghĩa Việt Nam Tổ chức Giáo dục, Khoa học và Văn hóa của Liên Hợp Quốc www.quangnamtourism.com.vn A SPECIAL THANKS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page This guide is based on the input Introduction 2 of local people from Hoi An, My Hoi An Ancient Town 4 Son and Cham Island including Nearby Hoi An 10 local communities, site manage- My Son Sanctuary 14 ment boards and local authorities Cham Island 18 as part of the UNESCO Public Broader region (Western Quang Nam, Danang, Hue) 22 Use Planning approach. We Local food & restaurants 25 hope that the guide provides you Events & festivals 27 with a deeper insight into the Hoi Handicrafts & shopping 29 An region and a memorable Visitor information 31 holiday and makes a contribution Maps of Hoi An region and Quang Nam province 36 to the preservation of the areas cultural heritage and ultimately benefits the people who call this Credits: Editorial: region home. Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism, SNV, UNESCO Ha Noi Cartography: Ha Noi Office Brad Tyberg Office of the Representative to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam United Nations Văn phòng Hà Nội Educational, Scientific and Photography: Văn phòng Đại diện tại nước Cultural Organization Cộng hòa Xã hội Chủ nghĩa Việt Nam Tổ chức Giáo dục, Mai Thành Chương, Nguyễn Quốc Quân, Đặng Khánh Ngọc Khoa học và Văn hóa của Liên Hợp Quốc Design, printing: Thong Nhat Printing Jsc. Publishing license No: 141-2011/CXB/32/02-01/VHTT Cover photo by Mai Thanh Chuong 1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Hoi An heritage region! Home to the World Heritage (WH) World Cultural Heritage sites in 1999 which when visiting religious and historic sites; sites of Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary and Cham Island has helped to ensure these important sites • reduce water and energy consumption World Biosphere Reserve (BR). All inextricably linked through the shared are protected. wherever possible and taking waste with you history of the Cham and the Kinh people. World Biosphere Reserves and disposing appropriately; Biosphere reserves are sites established by This` Visitor Guide is designed to help you make the • ask permission before taking pictures of countries and recognized under UNESCO's most of your holiday by highlighting the important people or religious sites; Man and the Biosphere Programme to cultural and heritage values of this region. From the • respect historical sites by not touching promote sustainable development based on WH sites, to the surrounding artisan towns, the buildings and artifacts unnecessarily and local community efforts and sound science. emerald green rice fields, the sweeping sandy white follow all local laws. beaches to the pristine Cham Island that has long World Biosphere Reserves are places that Your holiday here helps to generate been a fortress to protect Cua Dai beach and Hoi seek to reconcile conservation of biological increased income and additional employment An from both man and nature, making a valuable and cultural diversity and economic and for local people. Eating in local restaurants contribution to the preservation of the cultural social development through partnerships and shopping in craft villages surrounding Hoi heritage and benefiting the people who call this between people and nature. Cham Island An adds an extra special dimension to your region home. You are sure to receive a warm was designated a World Biosphere Reserve holiday and is a great way to directly benefit welcome from the local people and take away in 2009 as a site of excellence where new those who are in more need. and optimal practices to manage nature and memories that will last a life time. A great way to contribute to the preservation human activities are tested and demon- World Cultural Heritage of the special culture of Hoi An is to buy your strated. Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live Hoi An Entrance Ticket that provides access with today, and what we pass on to future genera- Travel Responsibly to five of the 18 ticketed sites in town. This tions. The United Nations Educational, Scientific Please remember to travel responsibly when small contribution helps fund a broad range of and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to visiting the Hoi An heritage region. You will heritage conservation measures and guides encourage the identification, protection and preser- have a more positive holiday when you: you to some of the most important and vation of cultural and natural heritage around the • respect local customs by dressing and interesting sites in Hoi An. world considered to be of outstanding value to behaving appropriately: avoid wearing humanity. Both Hoi An and My Son were listed as singlets/sleeveless blouses and short skirts 2 3 Hoi An ancient town on the Hoai Riverside HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN Hoi An, with its 80,000 inhabitants, is a thriving living museum that in Hoi An, the Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese. reflects the different cultures that have come to the bustling trading The bridge is made of wood with a yin-yang pan tile port over the centuries. Major cultural influences have been the roof and is erected on stone foundations. The bridge Champa (2nd to 15th century), the Dai Viet from the 15th century as well is connected with a small pagoda that faces the river and can be entered from the middle of the bridge. On as the Japanese, Chinese and European traders. the main door of the pagoda is a horizontal wooden The town maintains a complex of architectural panel with three embossed Chinese characters “Lai structures in excellent condition with the streets Vien Kieu”, a “bridge of friends from faraway countries”. Japanese bridge laid out in a chessboard pattern, a popular model There are seven compartments on either side of the of oriental mercantile cities in medieval times. A bridge which served as a corridor to display goods The Japanese in Hoi An total of 1,360 culturally significant building and for sale. At each end of the bridge is a pair of statues, Japanese settled in Hoi An in relics have been identified in Hoi An, including one is dog and the other monkey. Decorative large numbers following a treaty houses, assembly halls, temples, pagodas, patterns and designs demonstrate a combination of with local Nguyen lords signed in wells, a bridge, family chapels, wharfs and Vietnamese, Sino, Japanese and even Western the early 1600s. The Japanese markets. architecture. were allowed to construct Hoi An is perhaps at its most captivating at night In addition to the practical purpose of enabling Hoi streets, pagodas, and other when only bicycles and other traditional vehicles An residents to cross the canal, the Japanese bridge infrastructure, along with hous- can enter the town. Visitors can stroll along the had another important role. According to an ancient ing for merchants. The bridge is streets and alleys, be tempted by the tasty local legend, a dragon whose head was in India, tail in one of a handful of architectural food and easily imagine themselves living in Japan and body in Vietnam caused terrible disasters treasures still existing from that another time. whenever it moved. The Bridge was also designed period. The Japanese returned to pin down the dragon and keep the town safe. Friends across the water home following a 1637 Japa- The Japanese Bridge is one of the most famous nese Government edict forbid- landmarks in Vietnam and adorns the Vietnam- ding all contact with the outside ese 20,000 Dong note. The 18 meter long world. covered bridge with its arch-shaped entrance is a clear illustration of the influence of three cultures 4 5 HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN A meeting place strip and rafters. The element of The Chinese in Hoi An Vietnamese architecture is the yin-yang pan tile roof. The house is decorated with rare timber with complex carvings of dragons, fruits and flowers that reflects the prosper- ity of the home’s owners over generations. Although the house is in a low lying area prone to floods, the strong stone foundations of this home has HaiH ộNami quán Assembly Quảng Đ Hallông Quand Dong Assembly Hall The Fujian Assembly Hall was a place for protected seven generations of traders from Fujian Province on China’s owners from flood waters sometimes The Chinese traders, like their Japanese Some traders began leaving full-time South East coast to worship their gods and as high as 2 meters. Today, Tan Ky counterparts, sailed south in the spring, agents in Hoi An to take care of off-season ancestors. It also served as a local gathering house now serves as a home and driven by winds from the northeast. They business affairs which saw Hoi An place for the Fujian community in Hoi An. chapel for the Le Chuong family. would stay in Hoi An until the summer, when become the site of the first Chinese settle- The structure, built on a model of the “Three” southerly winds would enable them to sail ment in southern Vietnam. There are still character in Chinese, stretches for 120 home. During their four-month stay in Hoi around 1500 ethnic Chinese still living in meters.