The town is an exceptional example of a traditional trading port in Southeast Asia has been preserved completely and assiduously: it is the only city in Vietnam remained intact this way. Most of the buildings according to the traditional architectural style of the 19th and 20th centuries. They are arranged in narrow lanes of traditional type. These include many religious buildings, such as pagodas, temples, meeting houses, etc., which involves the development of a port community. Traditional lifestyle, religion, customs and cooking have been preserved and many festivals still take place every year.
Archaeological discoveries and excavations have shown that there is a port and trading center of the local Sa Huynh people along the Thu Bon River in the early 2nd century BC. Continued to expand, especially during its most flourishing from the 18th century to the end of the first 16. It was through Hoi An that Christianity penetrated into Vietnam in the 17th century.
At the end of this century, the rise of other ports on the coast of Vietnam, especially Da Nang, and the precipitated of its harbor, led to the eclipse of the last one is the result of economic stagnation this, it has preserved its early appearance in substantially intact condition, the only town in countries have done so. Ancient town located on the north bank of Thu Bon River. There is a road running east-west along the river and three further streets parallel with the river. They intersect at right angles of the streets and alleys. In this area there are houses (often combined with shops), religious monuments such as pagodas, temples, home and family worship, turning the ferry and an open market.
The architecture of Hoi An, which is almost entirely of wood, is of considerable interest. It combines the traditional design techniques with Vietnam and other countries, above all China and Japan, citizens settled there to trade and build houses and community centers to set their own design.
typical house suitable for a corridor plan, the following factors occur in the following order: home, yard and home. The buildings are:
- the family cult, dedicated to the worship of ancestors;
- the community house, is used for the worship of the ancient sages, the founder of the settlement, or the legendary founder of crafts;
- the temple almost all from the 19th century, although their writing was established in the 17th and 18th centuries. They fit a square layout and decoration mainly limited to building roofs. In the case of the larger examples, they form the nucleus of the building-related functions and secular religion. Some of the larger temple also serves as the venue. It is located along the main road (Tran Phu).
