Hoi An is an ancient riverside trading town in Central Vietnam. In the 16th century, Hoi An was one of Vietnam's busiest trading centers. Chinese merchants settled here to do business with European and Asian traders… until the Thu Bon river silted up, and trade shifted further downstream.
Today the descendants of those Chinese merchants maintain Hoi An's narrow streets and distinctive row houses. The streets are now filled with lamp shops, tailors, and travel agencies, selling new products but preserving the enterprising spirit of old.