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Revision as of 00:56, 12 February 2008 by JacquesNguyen (talk | contribs) (no needed)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) UNESCO World Heritage Site| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| Criteria | Cultural: ii, v |
| Reference | 948 |
| Inscription | 1999 (23rd Session) |
Hội An pronunciation is a small city on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in the Quảng Nam province and is home to approximately 88,000 inhabitants.
The city possessed the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the First Century and was known as Lâm Ấp Phố (Champa City).
The former harbour town of the Champa people at the estuary of the Thu Bon river was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16 and 17 centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled down. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. During the French colonial period (1883-1945), it was called Faifo. Originally Hai Pho was a divided town, because across the "Japanese Bridge", it used to be the Japanese settlement (16th-17th century). The bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.
The town is known to the French and Spanish as Faifo, and by similar names in Portuguese and Dutch. A number of theories have been put forth as to the origin of this name. Some scholars have suggested that it comes from the word "Hái-phố" (海浦) meaning "sea town", while others have said that it seems more likely to simply be a shortening of Hội An-phố (會安浦), "the town of Hoi An", to "Hoi-pho" which became "Faifo".
![[REDACTED]](https://u3vuiephb.global.ssl.fastly.net/File:Hoi_An_logo.jpg){kind=link}
In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15 to 19 centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.
Today, Hội An is still a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, also being a well established place on the backpacker trail. Many visit for the numerous art and craft shops and tailors, who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western price. Several Internet cafés, bars and restaurants have opened along the riverfront. Some popular evening venues, especially with Western visitors, are Tam Tam's restaurant and bar, the Before and Now bar on Le Loi, the Mango restaurant as well as the Salsa on the other side of the river.
Museums
The city has various small museums highlighting the history of the region, especially ceramics:
References
- Chen, Chingho. Historical Notes on Hội-An (Faifo). Carbondale, Illinois: Center for Vietnamese Studies, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1974. p10.
- Vietnam bu Nick Ray, Wendy Yanagihara pp.242-3
See also
External links
| World Heritage Sites in Vietnam | ||
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- Hội An photo gallery from Vietnam-culture.com
- Hội An Ancient Town - The World Heritage
- Template:Wikitravel
- Hội An Ancient Town
- Wayang.net Photo Gallery: Images of Hội An
- Hoi An travel guide
- Photos Hoi An at Pasaporteblog.com Template:Es
- Accommodation in Hoi An
- Hoi An information for travelers
- Hotels in Hoian
15°53′N 108°20′E / 15.883°N 108.333°E / 15.883; 108.333
| Quảng Nam province | ||
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| Provincial cities |  | |
| District-level towns | ||
| Districts | ||
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