Hội An trading port
Hội An Old Town, central Vietnam
What happened
From the 1400s to the 1800s, Hội An was a busy trading port on a river near the coast of central Vietnam. Ships came from across Southeast and East Asia, and later from Europe, to trade there. Chinese and Japanese merchants built homes, shops and meeting halls along its narrow streets.
Why it matters
It is one of the best-preserved traditional Asian trading ports in the world. Its buildings mix Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European styles, showing how different cultures met through sea trade.
What came next
In the 1800s, trade moved elsewhere and the town stopped growing, which helped keep its old wooden buildings unchanged. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
Did you know?
Many of the old shophouses have their backs facing the river, so goods could be loaded straight from boats.
Timeline
- 15th centuryHội An grows into an international trading port.
- 16th centuryPortuguese missionaries arrive, followed by other Europeans.
- 18th centuryThe wooden Japanese Bridge with its small pagoda is in place.
- 19th centuryTrade declines and the town stops growing.
- 1999Hội An Ancient Town becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site.