Elaine's Tender Loving Cakes: DANANG-HOI-AN TRIP 2019 # 1

This is our annual trip with members of my family and sisters. Everyone of us enjoyed our trip tremenously and took too many photos! Hence the delay in sorting out them and writing up on the trip.

15/3/2019
ARRIVAL DANANG.

Flight was uneventful. We did not purchased any meals as the flight was only about 2.5 hours. However when we arrived at the airport, we were in for a surprise. The big airport has only 2 counters open for immigration procedure for Asean arrival!!!. There seems to be no order and too many flights arriving the same time. We waited for over an hour before we can clear the immigration and proceeded to get our bags. We met our guide for the trip (Mr. Dat) who told us there are many flights from Korea daily!!!!

Anyway to make the "hangry" customers happy again, it was a short drive to the restaurant for a delicious seafood lunch by the East Vietnam sea. Immediately we were much pacified by the blue sea and breeze.

Feeling satiated, we departed for Hoi-An - ancient town - about an hour from Danang. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Center in 1999 many of the buildings here dating back to the 15th-19th Century. It reflects the indigenous and foreign cultures, mainly Chinese and Japanese . At the museum we were told that it was a major trading port and as time go, due to silting around the river mouth soon the big ships could not come into the port and town decline.

No traffic was allowed into the old town after 3 pm, so we have to walk around. Many of the old shophouses have been converted to modern businesses aimed at tourists. There are countless tailors (seems you can get your Vietnamese tailored within a few hours) art galleries, restaurants and cafes and all these have been converted with care to preserve the past. All the major attractions are located within walking distance, namely the Japanese covered bridge, the Chinese Assembly halls, the Guan Yin temple, museums of history and the Tran family home and chapel.

Tran Family Chapel

Tran Family Chapel is one of the oldest and most historical houses in this city, dated back to the beginning of 19th century. This was built by Tran Tu Nhac – a highly-respected mandarin under Gia Long Reign, before he was sent to China as the King's envoys. Originally, it serves as a worshipping place for the family’s ancestors

we were served with these traditional green bean biscuits and tea.

the Chinese influence of roof

garlands of oil coins

wandering around the old town...

one of the many cafes in the Old town and this one also has a cooking school.

this is a very popular drink - lemongrass, lime and lotus

The Japanese bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese around the 18th century, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side. There are 2 dogs statues at the beginning end of the bridge (commemorating the beginning of the construction of the bridge) and ending with 2 monkey statues at the other end of the bridge.

Dragon Fountain at the back of the Cantonese Assembly Hall (Quảng Triệu). Hội An Ancient Town pagodas
Built in 1885 by Guangdong/Cantonese Chinese immigrants, the Cantonese Assembly Hall is one of Hoi An’s most famous temples. The temple is filled with statues made of pottery and mythical characters from Chinese and Vietnamese folkstale. According to the guide, some of the temple compound was actually built in China and transported to Hoi An

Tan Ky Family house is a 18th century house built a Vietnamese merchant and preserved through 7 generations. The ceiling has the triple-beam structure (stands for heaven, earth and humans), the five round blocks (represent metal, wood, water, fire and earth – the five basic natural elements in Eastern philosophy)

A paid of 150-year-old vertical panels- the characters are formed entirely birds images in various position of flight and these are inlaid mother-of-pearl!!.