Day 6 June 8, 2012: - Hué to Hoi An
After early breakfast we set out for a long drive from <Hué to Da Nang> to the town of Hoi An, an ancient, well-preserved port town that has changed little in the past two centuries. Passing through <Da Nang> we stop at China Beach. Named by the American soldiers during the Vietnam War who saw on the map the water was the South China Sea and gave the beach its <China Beach> name. In the 1980’s it was the setting for TV show. The Vietnamese name for this beach is My Khe. When looking at the pictures please count the number of Vietnamese people on the beach. The Vietnamese consider dark people lower class field workers. Even when riding their motor bikes they cover themselves to protect their skin from the sun. Today, there is little to remind visitors of its history. China Beach Viet Nam is one of the premier resorts on the country’s coastline. It is also one of the top international surfing destinations. The beach, more than twenty miles long, has become the location for numerous luxury hotels with full-service spas and many world-class gourmet restaurants and shopping venue. [NOTE: The Vietnamese want to change the name to the South Asian Sea, however (you guessed it) China is opposing the name change.]
Hoi An
<Hội An> is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We took a walking tour of the ancient quarter and see its historic streets and houses, including the Phuc Kien Congressional House, Tan Ky House and Japanese Bridge. Most of Hoi An’s historic houses have been maintained in their traditional design, with brick exteriors and wooden interiors. After many centuries of maritime trade, the town boasts a multicultural air: Traders from Persia, Arabia, China, Japan, and India, and the first Christian missionaries to reach Viet Nam, have all left their mark on Hai An. A South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century Hội An’s buildings and streets reflect the influences that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. In the 1st century Hoi An possessed the largest harbor in Southeast Asia and was known as Lâm Ấp Phố (Champa City). In the 16th and 17th centuries Hoi An was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the Japanese Covered Bridge.
A well-known feature in Hoi An is the Japanese (Chùa cầu) covered bridge. In the 1700’s a wooden sign at the entrance changed to name of the bridge to "Bridge for Travelers from Afar". The bridge is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side. The Japanese Covered Bridge is one of Hoi An's most famous landmarks. The first bridge on the site was built in the 1590s by Hoi An's Japanese community. Sturdy construction and restrained decoration distinguish it from more flamboyant Vietnamese design. The entrance at one end of the bridge is guarded by a pair of monkeys and the other entrance by a pair of dogs. Some guides claim construction of the Japanese bridge began in the year of the dog and was completed in the year of the monkey. Others say the two animals were chosen because many Japanese emperors were born either in the year of the dog or monkey - lending them sacred significance. There is also a small temple on the northern side of the bridge dedicated to Tran Vo Bac De, god of the north. who reputedly controls the weather.
Fujian (Phuc Kien) Assembly Hall was built around 1690 as a traditional social assembly hall for the Chinese from Fujian, China. It was later transformed into a temple dedicated to the deity named Thien Hau – the goddess of sea who protects sailors from danger. The statue of the goddess was found on Hoi An Beach in 1697.
Fujian Assembly Hall bears all the fundamental features in structure of a Chinese Assembly Hall. Its ornate gate and colourful courtyard with fountains make the temple very photogenic. The main hall is the biggest room, where lies a shrine and many delicate-carved dragons. Behind the central altar are the God of Properity and the figures of the goddess of fertility, three fairies and twelve midwives (who are said to teach newborns such skills as sucking, smiling, etc.). Hence, childless couples often visit this temple to pray for children.
Tan Ky House, built in traditional Japanese-Vietnamese style, stands out as a near-perfect example of an 18th century merchant's residence. Even today across Vietnam, you see shopkeepers living above their places of business. For seven generations, the same family has kept both house and shop on these premises. They have stayed in Hoi An despite the Hoi An’s decline of business and recurring floods that hit this riverside residence hard in the monsoon season.
Viet Nam Photos Page 4