Hey everyone, welcome to World Heritage Journey.
Today we're at Hoi An Ancient Town, in central Vietnam.
So Hoi An was a very important trading post, one of the most important in all of Asia until
the river here silted over, and it became a backwater.
But luckily for us, becoming a backwater means that all of the buildings are really nicely
preserved.
Let's have a look around.
Hoi An sits on an estuary of the Thu Bon river in central Vietnam.
Founded sometime between the 7th and 10th centuries as part of the Champa Kingdom, Hoi
An's strategic location meant it became an important centre of the spice trade during
the 16th and 17th centuries.
Traders came from as far away as China, Japan and India, while Dutch and Portuguese merchants
also visited.
Trade was rich in silks, ceramics, and of course spices.
But by the 18th century, changing political situations and of course the river silting
up meant that much of the trading activity moved north to Da Nang and Hoi An became largely
forgotten.
These days, many of the old buildings in Hoi An still stand.
Painted in an attractive bright yellow, festooned with paper lanterns and with flowering trees,
it's a lovely town and attracts thousands of tourists a day.
Wandering around, you can still feel the old trading atmosphere too, as every shop sells
some sort of local product or delicacy.
The centrepiece is the Japanese Covered Bridge, which links what was once the main river island
across to the "Japanese Town", where many Japanese merchants had houses and shops.
We were also very impressed by the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, built by Chinese traders from
Fujian province in the 1690s.
It's a marvellous example of Chinese architecture, with ornate decorations, dragon statues on
the roof lines, temples to various spirits and animals, beautiful sculptures and more.