Hoi An named among nine best city destinations with beaches

Hanoi (VNA) – Hoi An city in the central province of Quang Nam, a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage Site, has been named among the nine best city destinations with beaches by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) based in Hong Kong.

The SCMP suggested Hoi An as a destination for visitors who want to mix shopping, sightseeing, and sunbathing.

According to the SCMP, criss-crossed by canals, Hoi An is a photogenic city on Vietnam's central coast. An architectural medley of wooden Chinese shophouses, French colonial buildings, ornate temples and the Japanese Covered Bridge helped the old town gain UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.

Formerly one of the busiest trading ports in Southeast Asia, today Hoi An bustles with tourists who sightsee and have clothing tailored for a fraction of the price they would pay at home. At night, lanterns illuminate the old town, creating a fairy-tale feel, it said.

Located in the lower reach of Thu Bon River in the coastal plain, about 30 km south of Da Nang city, Hoi An has been known in the international market by various names such as Lam Ap, Faifo, Hoai Pho, and Hoi An. The only Southeast Asian port-market in Vietnam and very rare in the world, Hoi An keeps almost 1,360 architectural relics intact. These include streets, houses, assembly halls, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, clan houses, ancient wells and tombs. They exhibit both Vietnamese traditional art characteristics and the convergence of eastern and western cultures.

Hoi An is not merely an ancient town but also home to pristine beaches with blue sea. Aside from the famous Cua Dai beach, An Bang beach is like a hidden gem, chosen as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches in 2011 by CNN Go./.