Hội An, from the river to the alleys

Yellow walls, silk lanterns and the Thu Bồn river: a small trading port that kept its old streets.

24 October 2026Hội An, Việt Nam4 photos3 viewsPlaces

Hội An was one of Southeast Asia's busiest trading ports between the 15th and 19th centuries, where Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese merchants lived side by side. When the Thu Bồn river silted up, trade moved elsewhere, and the old town was left largely as it was. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

What draws photographers is the light. In the late afternoon the ochre walls turn gold; after dark the lanterns take over. On the 14th day of each lunar month, the old town dims its electric lights for the full moon and the river fills with paper lanterns.

The quieter frames are in the alleys behind the main streets: bicycles against old walls, shop signs, potted plants, everyday life carrying on.

Photos: picart98, thuanvo, pen_ash on Pixabay, used under the Pixabay Content License. These are not my photographs.