{"id":122042,"date":"2017-03-14T22:20:16","date_gmt":"2017-03-15T02:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/?p=122042"},"modified":"2017-12-13T11:15:56","modified_gmt":"2017-12-13T16:15:56","slug":"hoi-an-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/discover\/hoi-an-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heart of Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u00a0love wandering Hoi An\u2019s ancient cobbled streets, particularly during the full moon, when strings of lanterns bring the fa\u00e7ades of ochre-walled 18th- and 19th-century European, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese shophouses alive with light and colour.<\/p>\n

Established in the 15th century, this tiny town on Vietnam\u2019s central coast was a busy port until the mouth of the Thu Bon River silted up in the 19th century and all trade moved to Da Nang, 30 kilometres (18 miles) north.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019m not alone in my love for this town and the central coast. In making Vietnam my home over the past decade, I\u2019ve seen a flurry of energy and investment in this geographic and cultural heartland of the country. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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As a result, walking the pedestrianized streets in Hoi An, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, feels like stepping back in time. Fishing boats bobbing on the canals blur the reflections of tradespeople hurrying home from their woodcarving, tailoring and painting shops for dinner. From cosy bars and restaurants set within timber-frame structures, ambient lamplight and delicious smells attract hungry patrons like moths to a flame.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Discover Hoi An: An awakening in the central coast<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In Hoi An’s historic Tan Ky House, an altar wall stands to prevent unlucky things from coming into the home. <\/p>\n

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Artisans practice careful embroidery in a small handicraft workshop in Hoi An. <\/p>\n

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Diners seated outdoors in Hoi An<\/p>\n

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A Vietnamese fisherman on the Thu Bon River<\/p>\n

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A man rides his motorbike in one of Hoi An’s alleys.<\/p>\n

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Hoi An is known for its handmade lanterns, which adorn many of the streets in Old Town.\n<\/p>\n

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Vy\u2019s Market serves local street food specialties, including cau lao (fat rice-flour noodles, pork and local greens).\n<\/p>\n

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In between trips, rickshaw drivers take a rest in Hoi An.<\/p>\n

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Centuries of Hoi An’s history peek out amid more recent growth.<\/p>\n

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Reminders of the past meet Hoi An visitors at every turn.<\/p>\n

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Q Bar, set within a 19th-century house, is an ideal spot to lounge on silk cushions over a lychee martini. The setting embodies the many influences drawn to the central coast over the years: In the rear, the d\u00e9cor and garden are inspired by Japanese aesthetics. The interiors upstairs feel redolent of 1920s or \u201830s Shanghai. And the Vietnamese fretwork, backlit in boudoir hues of red, was created by craftsmen using local wood.<\/p>\n

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Tap or click a photo to launch slideshow<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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