A brief introduction about Hoi An lantern town
Referring to Hoi An tourism, people often immediately mention the colorful lanterns. Lanterns not only appear in front of the gate of each house, but restaurants, eateries and bridges also use it to decorate, making the space more shimmering and impressive.
In particular, in the old town, there is a street with hundreds of lanterns hanging. They are arranged close together, arranged in an orderly manner to create a beautiful space that people still call the lantern street. Every night, Hoi An lantern street shines as a testament to its timeless beauty.
Experiencing many ups and downs, Hoi An still retains its own beauty of a relic complex. Not only has cultural value, but also has intangible cultural value. In particular, the lantern street has become a distinctive feature in the lifestyle of local people. And now, it has become an attractive attraction for tourists every time they visit this city.
History of Hoi An lanterns
Lanterns – a long-standing culture
Lanterns appeared in our country very early, well over 400 years. In the past, people used it mainly for decoration and lighting. But in Hoi An, people are very interested in the art of beautifying with lanterns, so it has been considered as a typical cultural feature of this place.
Hoi An lanterns probably date from the 15th century. The period when Hoi An was the busiest international trading port. At the same time, the architectural works of ancient houses, assembly halls, temples, etc. were erected. Lanterns were born as an indispensable part of the architectural pants of the Japanese and Chinese.
Origin of Hoi An lanterns
Many people here believe that the origin of Hoi An lanterns comes from the La, Thai, Chau, … from Guangdong, China.
They migrated here to live and brought lanterns and hung them in front of their house in a faraway place to help them relieve some of their nostalgia. Gradually, this habit was adopted by many people, became a cultural feature and is still maintained until now.
It is known that the ancestor of the lantern making profession in Hoi An is Mr. Xa Duong – who specializes in making handmade products such as unicorn heads, military lanterns, etc. And the one who revives a shimmering, mysterious Hoi An lantern town virtual at night is artist Huynh Van Ba. He recreated the shapes of the lamps with bamboo frames and cloth covers.
Over time, the lanterns are gradually perfected, becoming more sophisticated and beautiful with all shapes, sizes, and colors. And the craft of making lanterns has also become a distinctive feature of the old town.
>> Experience the 1-day Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
What area is Hoi An Lantern Street located in, how to get there?
Location of lantern street
Lantern Street is located on Nguyen Phuc Chu Street, Minh An Ward. Right in the center of the old town, at night, traffic will be banned, only allowed to visit and explore on foot.
How to move to lantern street
From Da Nang, you can move to Hoi An ancient town by motorbike, car or taxi, even by bus. Travel time takes about 45 minutes for a distance of nearly 30km.
After reaching the old town, from the northern old quarter, you go along Bach Dang street along the banks of Hoai river. Crossing Hoi An bridge, you turn into Nguyen Phuc Chu street located in the south. Here you will see a brilliant corner of lanterns. After parking the car, we started to visit and walk around.
See More: Danang To Hoi An Private Car
What is the best time to check-in Hoi An lantern town?
Lantern Street is always crowded and bustling, especially at night. This place has no regulations on opening and closing times, so you can come and play at any time you want. However, in the evening it will be much more beautiful than during the day.
Especially on the 14th day of the lunar calendar every month and the annual Mid-Autumn Festival (August 15th of the lunar calendar). This place will hold an extremely bustling lantern festival. The whole street is filled with shimmering light from lanterns.
On these days, restaurants, eateries and even nearby houses turn off their lights. People will hang lanterns of all shapes and sizes in front of the porch, making the whole neighborhood more shimmering and fanciful. Coming here, you will surely be overwhelmed by the color, yellow, green, … stretching the street. This is also the ideal time to take pictures and live virtual.
Experience interesting things at Hoi An lantern street
Check-in virtual living with lantern street
This is definitely something not to be missed when coming to the lantern street. With such a shimmering, brilliant background, it is impossible not to stop to take a few photos.
You can wear an ao dai or vintage, bohemian, and banh beo styles. Along with conical hats, sedge hats, fans, … and pose by the lanterns or walk in the middle of the road. That’s it, but the picture is super cool and magical.
Find out the meaning of the lanterns
For those who come to Hoi An for the first time, they will wonder why they like lanterns so much here . The reason why lanterns are chosen to decorate and represent the old town is not only meant to shine, and Quang people consider it as an important symbol for people.
Join the brilliant lantern festival
The Lantern Festival is usually held on the 14th day of the lunar calendar and on holidays and Tet with many interesting activities that you can participate in such as admiring the shimmering beauty, enjoying the unique art performances, participate in special folk games or drop lanterns on Hoai River, …
Discover the craft of making lanterns of Hoi An people
An equally interesting experience that you may enjoy is discovering the traditional craft of making lanterns of Hoi An people. You can come directly to the craft village to find out!
Normally, to make a beautiful and eye-catching lantern requires the artisan to have experience, skillful hands and meticulousness.
The first is to use an umbrella to connect the bamboo slats to create a frame, then cut the fabric according to the size of the frame and stick it around and then use scissors to cut away the excess fabric. Finally, the decoration to create a highlight for the lantern.
>> MORE: Learn about the ticket price to visit Hoi An ancient town
Go to Hoi An lantern town to discover food at night
In the journey to discover the old town at night, visitors are not only immersed in the poetic and romantic space of the lantern street. Or admire the nostalgic features of old houses, mossy tiled roofs, but also enjoy Hoi An cuisine.
It seems that at night there will be more dining options for you. According to dulichsontra.com’s experience, you should not eat at restaurants because the restaurant is usually for Western customers, the price is quite expensive.
You can visit the shops along Hoai River right next to the lantern street or the night market along the street or the food street. There are many dishes for you to choose from. Some of the dishes include:
- Potato cakes
- High floor
- Pancakes
- Noodles
- phoenix bread
- Mussels with rice paper
- Hoi An Tea
Hotels near Hoi An lantern street
Should I stay near the lantern street?
Whether to stay in the center of the old town is something tourists want to know. Near the lantern street, there are many hotels and homestays from affordable to high-end. Depending on your budget to choose the right accommodation for you.
Staying near the center of Hoi An lantern town has the advantage of being convenient to travel, being able to walk without having to rent a car. Easy to visit places and also more choices of dining.
However, if you need a quiet space with the main purpose of relaxation, you should consider looking for hotels near the sea or near the city, for example.
The hotels, homestay should stay
Dulichsontra.com suggests you a few hotels and homestays near Hoi An lantern street for your reference:
- Vinh Hung Hotel: 143 Tran Phu
- SunSet Hoi An Hotel: 69 Nguyen Phuc Chu, An Hoi, Minh An
- Lantern Hotel: 288 Nguyen Duy Hieu, Son Phong
- Son Trang Hotel Hoi An: 26 VND Minh An, Cam Pho
- Maili homestay: 172 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Cam Nam
- Maison De tau Hoi An: 47/23 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Son Phong
See more: Top 22 Hoi An Coffee Shops with Beautiful View, Extremely Delicious
Locations near Hoi An lantern street can be combined with check-in
Besides the lantern street, Hoi An ancient town also has many other famous tourist attractions that also attract many tourists to visit and explore. You should come early to have more time to experience. The points that dulichsontra.com think you should not miss are:
- Hoi An Bridge Pagoda
- Hoi An Hoai River
- Hoi An Market
- Assembly halls: Assembly halls of Fujian, Cantonese, Trieu Chau
- Ancient houses: Tan Ky ancient house, Phung Hung ancient house, Duc An, Quan Thang
Important notes when visiting Hoi An lantern town
- First: To walk around the lantern street, you should go around 3pm onwards. At this time it is less sunny, sightseeing and taking photos are also comfortable. Or if you can stay until the evening, the better, because at night is the most beautiful moment of this street.
- Second: Don’t forget to prepare beautiful clothes to live virtual. And remember to bring a hat, a hat, a good camera and a selfie stick to take pictures freely.
- Tuesday: If you are not busy, you should come here in the summer or the first months of spring. Because the last months of the year have entered the rainy season, it is not very suitable for walking around, watching the lanterns.
It can be said that Hoi An lantern town is the convergence of the quintessence of culture and people here. Its presence as a highlight adds to the ancient and poetic beauty of this urban area. If you have the opportunity to visit the old town, remember to spend time walking this street to have more memorable experiences!
