My Thoughts on The Not So Old Town of Hoi An in Vietnam

We left Da Nang today and made our way via Grab cab to the ancient town of Hoi An. The town is a common tourist attraction and world famous UNESCO World Heritage Site. In my personal opinion, it’s more of a ‘tourist trap’ than anything else.

The Old Town is not so old anymore and has been modified to meet the artificial means of mass tourism. It’s honestly quite a shame such a historic town has been transformed so drastically into a utopian fairyland. The ancient feel that once was is certainly no more, and the streets and shops have been specially catered to draw the attention of tourists upon tourists. Simply walking the streets gives you this sense. There are more tourists than locals here. If you want the real deal, then this ratio should be the other way around.

Da Nang hardly had any tourists walking the streets when we were there. The vibes were authentic and pure. Hoi An has an artificial flavor, similar to what you would get by traveling to Santorini or Mykonos in Greece. Now don’t get me wrong, a lot of people like this type of scene. For @super-irie and I, we’re screaming,

“Get us out of here!”

@joythewanderer discussed her feels on the old, ancient town of Hoi An in a recent post she published. She had a similar vibe as I when visiting the old town.

The only thing old about the Old Town is the ancient Japanese styled cover bridge pictured above. Everything else has been refurbished and repaired in the town to match the standards of present day touristic idiosyncrasies.

The bridge is probably the most well sought after site in the entire town. It was built in the 17th century by a Japanese architect, who until this day, remains a mystery to the Vietnamese people. The rest of the architecture in the town is Chinese style, so the bridge is distinctly unique in Hoi An.

Here’s a link to more info. on the Japanese Covered Bridge - http://www.vietnam-guide.com/hoi-an/japanese-covered-bridge.htm

At least one good thing came from today, however, but you will have to stay tuned to find out. The story should be dropping either late tomorrow or early Thursday.

Can’t wait to share this story and hear what you all have to say

Tạm biệt 👋🏼
(Goodbye in Vietnamese)

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