Former Chinese spice-trade port brimming with energy - Hoi An Ancient Town 948; Practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms 01064
What and Why
Hội An looks like a tranquil riverside town but is actually a genuine tourist magnet. There is a lot of historic charm in the town, especially the Chinese heritage, although this is now totally subsumed into a huge tourist theme park.
The history of Hội An came from the ancient state of Champa (Cham: ꨌꩌꨛꨩ, Campa) which occupied much of what is now central and lower Vietnam. In the early years, Mỹ Sơn was the spiritual capital, Trà Kiệu was the political capital while Hội An was the commercial capital of Champa - all three aligned on a straight line. Between the 7th and 10th centuries CE, the Cham (Cham: ꨌꩌ, Čaṃ) people controlled the strategic spice trade and this prospered the town.
Hội An became an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries CE, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled. The Chinese influence was especially strong, similar to other Vietnamese city, as they were escaping from Chinese armies during the Ming (Chinese: 明) dynasty. Hội An became so important and prosperous that it was considered by Chinese and Japanese merchants to be the best trading ports in all of Asia, and subsequently developed various Vietnamese beliefs or rituals relating to maritime trade and travels.
Hội An's importance waned sharply at the end of the 18th century CE because of the collapse of Nguyễn rule. With the reign of Emperor Gia Long (né Nguyễn Phúc Ánh), he repaid the French support for their aid by giving them exclusive trade rights to the nearby port town of Đà Nẵng. Đà Nẵng then became the new centre of trade in central Vietnam while Hội An took a huge step back.
Toponymy
Hội An means a peaceful meeting place in Vietnamese and Chinese (Chinese: 會安, hui an).
See
The main thoroughfare of Hội An is Trần Phú, where pretty much the entire town spawns outward. A good walk would start from the eastern tip of Trần Phú and walk towards the Japanese bridge and then along the river bank and back. The town comprises of a well-preserved complex of a thousand timber frame buildings, with brick or wooden walls, which include architectural monuments, commercial and domestic vernacular structures.
Japanese Covered Bridge (Cau Nhat Ban)
This is Hội An's landmark and must-see spot. The bridge is believed to be constructed during the early 17th century CE by the Japanese community, roughly 40 years before they left the city to return to Japan under Tokugawa Shogunate (Japanese: 徳川幕府, Tokugawa bakufu) reign, when the country imposed the sakoku (Japanese: 鎖国), isolationist policy.
At the end of the bridge, there are statues of two dogs and two monkeys: representing the Chinese zodiac directions: northwest (dog) and west-southwest (monkey) respectively. There is also a Japanese pagoda, said to protect seafarers.
The bridge end shows more Chinese design. The bridge was reconstructed by the Chinese and hence it has incorporated with more Chinese motifs.
Trần Phú
The main thoroughfare has turned itself to be a shoppers' paradise, but has also become, as mentioned a Vietnamese theme park. All traditional houses have become typical shops selling tourist souvenirs. Trần Phú was a Vietnamese revolutionary and the first general secretary of the Indochinese Communist Party.
Chinese Assembly Halls
The main draw of Hội An are the numerous Chinese congregation halls, where Chinese expatriate residents socialised and held meetings. They are typically named after the home region of their members, such as Fujian (Chinese: 福建) and Guangdong (Chinese: 广东). These more famous ones are the Guangdong-Zhaoqing Assembly Hall (Chinese: 廣肇會館, Guangzhao huiguan）and Hokkien (Fujianese) Assembly Hall (Chinese: 福建會館, Fujian huiguan).
The Hokkien assembly hall serves the largest Chinese ethnic group in Hội An, and is dedicated to Mazu (Chinese: 媽祖), the Chinese sea goddess. From the temple, we learnt that Mazu is a historic person and is the apotheosis of the purported historical Lin Mo (Chinese: 林默) during the 10th century CE.
In many of these clan houses, one can see the witness of a number of female deities. The worship of these different female icons is known as Đạo Mẫu, drawing together a number of different deities like Bà Chúa Xứ and Pincess Liễu Hạnh. Đạo Mẫu comes from the Chinese word 道母 (daomu) meaning the mother of faith.
One of the important features of this worship is that these deities were all real people and there was no supernaturals involved, unlike other Chinese or Japanese beliefs where the deities are spiritual. Clearly they have been iconised and immortalised but they remains real. The goddesses usually point to three realms: heaven, water and nature. The worship of Đạo Mẫu also contributes significantly to the status and appreciation of women in Vietnam. This practice is recognised by UNESCO as an ICH.
House (Căn nhà)
There are three old houses that allow visit, but there is nothing particular, other than the fact they are old and shabby. The beam support exhibits both Chinese and Japanese architecture.
Bạch Đằng
The eatery-street, named after the main river Bạch Đằng Giang, meaning white rattan river in Vietnamese is a beautiful photospot, especially along the river bank, and is just a stone-throw from the Japanese bridge. There are a number of bland boat trips along the river, humming annoying Christmas carols non-stop. It houses all the good restaurants. This is also called the French Quarter as some of the buildings are classic French-style residential houses, although I can only locate one of them.
French-style building along Bạch Đằng.
Buy and Do
Basket boat (Thuyền thúng)
One of the things to do in Hội An is to take a boat-trip in the traditional bamboo basket coracle (thuyền thúng) along the nearby river. These boats are still in use for fisheries and is designed to withstand random waves in the high-sea. The bamboo boat is made of bamboo and cow dung is applied as a sealant. At a extra payment of around USD $5 they will do a stun with the passenger by spinning the boat fervently like a mad top.
Trawl-fishing along the river.
Eat and Drink
Vietnamese cuisine (Ấm thực Việt Nam)
Vietnamese cuisine (Vietnamese: Ấm thực Việt Nam) is my favourite Southeast Asian cuisine, and is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil, complementary textures, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. Easily the healthiest cuisine in the world, it balances between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste. Vietnamese cuisine always has maintained the balance of five oriental elements which correspond to its respective taste: spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (earth).
A common dish is bi cuốn which is the rice-paper wrap and include a variety of ingredients like meat, vegetable and fresh herbs. We were well served in a restaurant Morning Glory along Bạch Đằng, serving traditional street-food in a very posh but cozy setting.
Bánh mì
Bánh mì is a type of fusion Vietnamese sandwich, consisting of a French baguette, meats and fresh herbs. It is really made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain who visited a particular sandwich shop in Hội An, called Banh Mi Phuong, during the making of his food travel show No Reservations. In the show he declared their bánh mì to be the best sandwich he had ever eaten. Not that it is not good, but that is really too much of a hyperbole.
Stay
We stayed at the Hoi An Ancient House Village (Làng nhà cổ Hội An), which is one of the best hotels I have stayed in. At less than USD $100 a night, it is also an absolute steal.
Getting There and Around
Hội An is only 30 min away from Đà Nẵng, the main airport and Hội An is entirely pedestrian. Do not attempt to rent a car in Vietnam, we have heard enough horrible stories about the quality of roads and cars in the country. Spend two or three days in town at least.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.
To meet spiritual needs, everyday wishes and gain help in achieving good health and success communities in Viet Nam worship the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms: heaven, water, and mountains and forests. The Mother Goddesses include Liễu Hạnh (a nymph who descended to earth, lived as a human and became a Buddhist nun) referred to as the Mother of the World, and other spirits considered legendary heroes. The traditional practice involves daily worship and participation in ceremonies, rituals like the spirit possession ritual and festivals such as Phủ Dầy that take place at temples dedicated to the Mother Goddesses. These activities associated with the practice help to maintain part of the community’s history, cultural heritage and identity with some aspects incorporating traditional costumes, music and dance. Bearers and practitioners are members of the public, temple guardians, ritual priests, spirit mediums, assistants and musicians who transmit knowledge and skills orally to newcomers and family members. The practice of shared values and strong beliefs in the compassion and grace of the Mother Goddesses provides a basis for social relations connecting members of participating communities. The worshipping of the Mother Goddesses also contributes to the appreciation of women and their roles in society.
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