This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site is a gorgeous example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating back to the 15th through the 19th centuries. During those years, Hoi An was a famous port of call for traders searching for silk, spices, porcelain, traditional Chinese remedies, tea and other goods. Eventually, many merchants from China and Japan came to live in Hoi An full-time and brought their families.

The city ceased to be an important trading port after the 19th century, when silt made the Thu Bon River impassable for large ships. Now, it’s a beautifully preserved tourist town, with shops and hotels surrounding a traditional city center. The historic area, called Hoi An Ancient Town, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The UNESCO website calls it “an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international commercial port” and “an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port.”

One unique way that Hoi An has chosen to retain its old-fashioned atmosphere is to declare the 14th day of each lunar month, when the moon is full, “Hoi An Legendary Night.” On this night, there are no electric lights allowed in the city’s old quarter. Cars and motorcycles are forbidden, too. People walk, talk and play games bathed in the light of artfully designed lanterns and candles instead.

To visit Hoi An, you will need a Vietnamese visa. Make sure you apply in advance, well before starting your trip, as you must have your visa in hand before you arrive at the airport.

If you are traveling as a tourist, here are the documents you’ll need for your visa:

• A valid US passport
• A completed Vietnam visa application
• A passport photo that’s no more than 6 months old.

Also, if your trip requires you to enter and exist Vietnam more than once, you must request a multiple-entry visa when you apply. If you don’t request a multiple-entry visa, you will be given a single-entry visa. and this could wreak havoc on your itinerary.

RushMyTravelVisa can speed up and simplify the Vietnam visa application process. We’ll take a look at your itinerary to make sure that you have the right documents for each step in your journey, and we’ll walk you through filling out the paperwork. Then, we’ll expedite your paperwork for the fastest processing available.

Apply for your Vietnam visa today!

Tags: UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vietnam, vietnam visa, Vietnamese visa

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 24th, 2010 at 10:36 pm and is filed under World Heritage Site of the Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.