Vietnam 2016 / Hoi An

Hoi An
a picturesque and charming city on the Song Thu Bon River, is one of the smaller cities with a population of about 75,000. Hoi An was once the largest port in Southeast Asia, due to its location on the Silk Road. During the 16th century, the port was further developed and Hoi An became an attractive international trading centre. Many Chinese and Japanese traders settled in the city. In the 17th century, European traders also discovered the port, coming mainly from France, Holland and Portugal.
Due to the increasing deposits of sand in the harbour area, the port of Hoi An lost more and more of its importance. The big ships had to leave, for example to Da Nang, and Hoi An lost the battle against the big ports.

The river also divides the town into the Japanese (on the right of the picture) and Chinese districts.