My OperaHoi An - Quang Nam
Thursday, June 14, 2007 11:18:13 AM
Tam Ky – Hoi An used to be an international trade centre by sea in the east west area in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the businest trading port in Dang Trong region of Viet Nam under the reign of Nguyen as mercharts from Japan, China, Fortugal, Spain, Holland often landed for exchanging and purchasing commodities. In the historical progress of establishment and development, Hoi An was known by foreign mercharts and Faifo… Based on archeological relics and architectural documents, Hoi An was a place of converging and exchanging of many cultures – up to now, the ancient town of Hoi An preserve its original architectures, including houses, temples, pagoda, streets, ports and buildings religious structures and other non - religious worshipping structures.
Hoi An is located 30km south of Da Nang city and 60km northeast of Tam Ky – Hoi An used to be an international trade centre by sea in the east west area in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the businest trading port in Dang Trong region of Viet Nam under the reign of Nguyen as mercharts from Japan, China, Fortugal, Spain, Holland often landed for exchanging and purchasing commodities. In the historical progress of establishment and development, Hoi An was known by foreign mercharts and Faifo… Based on archeological relics and architectural documents, Hoi An was a place of converging and exchanging of many cultures – up to now, the ancient town of Hoi An preserve its original architectures, including houses, temples, pagoda, streets, ports and buildings religious structures and other non - religious worshipping structures. The everyday lifestyle with deep rooted customs and cultural activities is fascinating. Hoi An also attracts tourts thanks to its poetic and picturesque landscapse such as Thuan Tung islet …
Hoi An the town of Quang Nam province of 80.000 inhabitants dwelling over area of 60 Sq km, consisting of 5 wards, 6 mainland villages and 1 island village. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was the international trading center in southern Viet Nam. Foreign merchant ships came to HoiAn in great number of annual commerial fairs, each lasted from 4 to 6 months. Right in this town, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Indian traders set up their emporiums or established their own quarters for permanents habitation.
The old town of Hoi An an unique concentration of architectural monuments of various forms living house, assembly hall. Commual house, pagoda, shrine, temple, waterwell, bridge, market, wharf,… has been preserved intact. They are along the streets that cut one another, forming places and giving a good example of symbolic oriental cities in the Middle Age. So wonderful with its old aged and traditionally well kept cultural activities habits and customs. The town is now a wonderful living museum of architecture and urban life – style.
Hoi An old town and its nice natural landscapes: rivers, islands and traditonal special dishes have made a great attraction to domestic and foreign tourists and those who come to do research. So on december 4 th , 1999. Hoi An was inscribed on the world Heritage list.
In Hoi An ancient town there are 1360 monuments and many beautiful sites. Every where in Hoi An office of tourist services as a tour guide. I visited everywhere in Hoi An ancient town. I feel that it is ancient, beautiful .. Especially, there are many tourists visit these places. So I would like to study this problem. In Hoi An ancient town, there are many intersting places. I can’t study all of them. So we are going to do research about value of Pagoda Bridge. Phuc Kien assembly hall, history and cultural museums. Phung Hung old house handicraft workshop, Quan Cong’s temple.Tourists usually visit these places:
1. Japanese bridge (pagoda bridge)
The first thing to be presented about Hoi An is the Pagoda Bridge. This spot is perhaps the beginning of a very interesting tour of the legendary and historic Hoi An. The bridge crosses a rirulet and links Nguyen Thi Minh Khai to Tran Phu street. It has allways been regarded as the entrance gate of the city for visitor. Before, this brigde divided into 2 part. The Japanese stayed East and Chinese stayed West.
The Japaneses bridge was built in 1593. It has been upgraded six times in 1653, 1763, 1817, 1865, 1915 and 1917. Although foot of a bridge still has been upgraded yet. This is most special of bridge because it was built by cane-honey. Twelve metres long the wood bridge has tiled roof and seven compartments.
The Japanese bridge is comprised of two parts the bridge and a pagoda. Actually the pagoda is just a wooden temple built next to the bridge. Hoi An’s folks call “pagoda” any place they think sacred. In two head’s bridge have two dogs and two monkeys which suggest that work began in the year of the monkey and ended in the year of the dog.
The pagoda bridge is related to legend. When the Japanese traders came to Hoi Anto settle and run businesses. Japanese monk discovered a giant dragon whose head was in Indian, tail in Japan and heart in Hoi An. Whenever this dragon wriggled, it caused earthquakes in Japan. Fearing the sword might get loose someday, the monk asked the town people to build a bridge to keep the sword in its position. The bridge thus become a talisman. A temple was built at its to console the spirit of the dragon. The Pagoda Bridge has a fascinating legend and historical significance relevent to the presence of Japanese traders in late 16th and early 17th century.
Nowadays, Japanese Bridge is a symboy of Hoi An people. Whenever we talk to Hoi An ancient town then we think about Japanese Bridge. So tourists usually visit this place when they came to Hoi An, Japanese Bridge really attracts tourists with ancient value and unique architecture.
2. Quan Cong’s temple: Quan Cong’s temple was built in 1653, the temple was dicided to Quan Vu, a highly esteemed Chinese general who was Vietnamese to be the symbol of loyalty, sincerity, justice, integrity.
Having a majestic appearance and moral decoration the monument used to be a center of belief of Hoi An trading port town and it’s amazing that the temple still keeps all the poems when they visited Hoi An in 1775.
Quan Cong’s temple situated in front of the main market in Hoi An , it has been a place of worship for the residents of Hoi An. Many traders frequent this temple to pray for their business. During the war, people came to pray for safety.
All above is just a brief part in the history of temple. Because in Hoi An, there still exist 43 temples venerating gods. Sages and the souls of heros and benefactors of the people and community. This size of the temples depends on the fame of the venerated person and economic conditions of the community. However, they are valuable collections of folkloric arts and cultural works of the populace.
3. Handicraft workshop:
Hoi An artcraft manufacturing workshop opened on August 30th, 2001. The workshop is a place where the traditional handicrafts in Hoi An and Quang Nam-Da Nang converge such as make of sleeping- mats, falric potterry, sculpture…There are 14 villages in here. The workshop is located in the foundation of a 200 years old, house where local products used to be formerly traded by a Chinese merchant. Here, tourists will enjoy watching the clever hand and surprising at skills of the artistic craftsmen who have ever made ingenious and specific artyacts, visitors shouldn’t miss the oppotunity to take part in some stages of the process of making and bringing home nice products as the memorable souvenirs on your trip to Hoi An.
Visiting the fine handicrafts workshop means that you have really contributed to the preservation of the traditional culture of Vietnam. Especially to Hoi An ancient town. Tourists can show appreciation of traditional music on 9.30a.m everyday and you will have many interested in souvernirs to make presents for family and friends when you visited Hoi An. In here, you can buy some animals made by pottery, lampshade, China teapot… So here attracts tourists very crowded.
4.Museum:
Beside, we can study about museum to have informations about our history. Hoi An doesn’t have a main museum because of the regulations imposed by the Ministry of culture don’t allow the establishment of a district museum Hoi An’s inhabitants have figured out a way to protect precious artifacts. These museums allow visitors to study in depth the history and culture of Hoi An. These are 3 museums in Hoi An such as: historical museum, the museum of trade ceramics and Sa Huynh cultural museum. So we will study a museum about history.
Scientific studies have given out a sketch of Hoi An through many times from the ancient to the second century: Champa(2nd-15th centuries),
Dai Viet(15th-19th). Domestic and foreign traders came here annually for trading in Dai Viet time making it became ancient. Some object and photographs exhibit in this museum such as:
- Excavating pit of An Bang relic
- An iron spade
- An iron cleaver
- Jewelery (period of pre – proto history)
- Champa period (2nd_15th)
- Pot-shaped ceramic jar
Dai Estuary:
- Abust of Cham goddess in the 8th century found at Hau Xa-Cam Ha in 1985.
- Abrich well in Cam Ha- Champa style.
-The foundation of Lady’s temple.
*Dai Viet period
- A tombstone of ‘Great Viet’.
-Cam Pho communal house
*Some types of “wooden watchful eyes” specific architectural detail of ancient house in Hoi An.
It is the first place tourists should visit in Hoi An.
5.Old house- Phung Hung old house.
Statistics show the ancient city of Hoi An still preserves 1068 old houses. There house are divided into two groups, They all bear the original characters maner and culture of their owners, so the viewer can see Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture.
Hoi An was multi-racial land with Chinese majority …say the Chinese community of Hoi An in the late 17th centery numbered 6000 comprising. Traders came to Hoi An to run business and had their houses built in the original Chinese style. This hope was to nouvail , they all became Vietnamese of Chinese origin, their made of living slowly intergrated with that of the Vietnamse resulting in mixtures of the two cultures now. There are 4 house with 4 other style. There are famous places in Hoi An but we are going to do study a house. It’s Phung Hung old house. This house lies Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street about 50 metres from Japanese – Bridge. It was built in the Japanese style by there architecture styles Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese. Aged more than 100 years and there are 8 generations past and present living in this house. Phung Hung house was designed include a wide balcony on the second floor affording panovamic views. It shows the development of architecture and the exchange of culture among East Asian’s styles iin the past centuries. The house contains a lot of information about the life -style of the wealthy merchants in Hoi An.
This house was built by 80 iron wood parquet pillar in the feet, have a stone to front when this house was over flooded. In here, you can drink tea and buy bags, beautiful handherchief…There was made by members in their family. All of the members of family are living and the working in here. So this house attracts tourists visit every much.
6. Assembly Hall - Phuc Kien
Chinese Traders founded Assembly Hall to assist and entertain themself and venerate their god guardians. Currently Hoi An still preserves five Assembly Hall, four of which are on Tran Phu street. Quang Trieu clubhouse built in 1885; the Duong Thuong clubhouse built in 1741, the Phuc Kien clubhouse built in 1967 and the Hai Nam’s Quynh Phu clubhouse. The fifth clubhouse is the Trieu Chau clubhouse built in 1845 on Nguyen Duy Hieu street. But the Phuc Kien assembly hall is a beautiful and unique assembly hall. Therefore, we are going to do sudy about this assembly hall. Phuc Kien was built by the Phuc Kien Chinese community in 1697 the heaven’s lady goddes is worshipped at the main altar. They protected traders during their seafaring journeys with help of two deity, the pagoda also worship buddha and for bear sages. The pogada is believed to have supernational powers prayers.There are altars venerating six sages, 12 midwives and the wealth god, 12 midwives is 12 months in year and every one will help child in a month such as go, eat, speak, smile… In this assembly halll, tourists usually visit and pray for their family and friends. They had a incense and round to pray and it will burn about one month and the things that they pray will become the truth. Besides, there are poems by China on the wall and their pottery’s photograph when they came here to workship heaven’s lady goddes on 23th of March every year.
This is special thing to attract tourists Phuc Kien Assembly Hall by its beautiful and historical value and this is the most beautiful Assembly Hall in Hoi An. So tourists usually visit Phuc Kien Assembly Hall when they come here
Most tourists feel pleased with Hoi An architecture and history. This is an encouragement to develop tourism in Hoi An. Cultural Heritage is the most interesting and impressing tourism in Hoi An. Though some old structure in Hoi An diteriorated by time, wars and naturalcalamitess, many still preserve their original status from the last centuries.Forthat, local authorities and Hoi An people are trying to restore and preserve the peculiarities of this old city. After a long period of neglect, work on preserving and restoring the cultural Heritage of Hoi An is being carried out with help of specialists from many countries.
My study with purpose help tourists more uhderstand about value of these monuments in Hoi An ancient town. Through the commerciai town-port has been renoun pros presious in the past. Nowadays,depth, remain the rare geographical place with features cultural elemants of architecture, history, customs…Trading and economic activities at that time helped develop relationships and introduced a number of cultural traditions and religious sites that are stillpreserve today. All this has helped researchers and tourists discover the cultural life of Hoi An’s inhabitants during ancient times. Though many historical events, Hoi An has now become a world heritage center of Vietnam due to its structures and its being a living museum displaying relics and harmonious mixture of Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese. Morever, a part prom material monuments, Hoi An also attracts people by its diversified form aand and architecture, history…All these monuments are being preserved and developed to enhance the cultural value of Hoi An. This is the first time I write research paper so it is difficultto have a good research but I finished my research. I hope that I could get a good result in this research.
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