Hoi An has been named among nine best city destinations with beaches (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) The SCMP suggested Hoi An as a destination for visitors whowant to mix shopping, sightseeing, and sunbathing.
According to the SCMP, criss-crossed by canals, Hoi An is aphotogenic city on Vietnam's central coast. An architectural medley of woodenChinese shophouses, French colonial buildings, ornate temples and the JapaneseCovered Bridge helped the old town gain UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.
Formerly one of the busiest trading ports in Southeast Asia,today Hoi An bustles with tourists who sightsee and have clothing tailored fora fraction of the price they would pay at home. At night, lanterns illuminatethe old town, creating a fairy-tale feel, it said.
Located in the lower reach of Thu Bon River in the coastalplain, about 30 km south of Da Nang city, Hoi An has beenknown in the international market by various names such as Lam Ap, Faifo, HoaiPho, and Hoi An. The only Southeast Asian port-market in Vietnam and very rarein the world, Hoi An keeps almost 1,360 architectural relics intact. These includestreets, houses, assembly halls, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, clanhouses, ancient wells and tombs. They exhibit both Vietnamese traditional artcharacteristics and the convergence of eastern and western cultures.
Hoi An is not merely an ancient town but also home topristine beaches with blue sea. Aside from the famous Cua Dai beach, An Bangbeach is like a hidden gem, chosen as one of the world’s most beautiful beachesin 2011 by CNN Go./.
VNA
