THE ACIENT HOI AN TOWN
Good afternoon, lady and gentlemen.
Nice to meet you today! My name’s Ha. I’m very happy to be
your tourguide to visit the ancient town Hoi An. You can see the
map. And today, we will visit many destinations such as: Fujian
assembly hall, the Nguyen Tuong family chapel, Cam Pho commune
hall, Bai Choi singing...etc. and i hope you are happy with this tour
in Hoi An.
• LOCATION AND HISTORY:
Hoi An ancient town is located on the banks of the Thu Bon
river central Quang Nam province, 30 kilometers south of Da Nang,
Hoi An ancient town is an Eastern oriental classic captivation.
As you see, Hoi An has been though a few centuries of history,
but still remains in the very first days of its being born. Its two main
historical landmarks are occupying of the Japanese & Chinese, and
the Western ( Dutch and Spanish) during the 16th and 17th centuries.
During the period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho
( Sea Town) in Vietnamese. Originally Hai Pho was a divided town,
because across the “Japanese Bridge”, it used to be the Japanese
settlement (16th -17th century). Then it was known to the French and
Spanish as Faifo, a major international port city. Thanks to these


days, the foreign comprehensively positive and special pastimes and
culture had made deep influences on the today’s Hoi An.
• ARCHITECTURE
Coming here, tourists can see series of old-architectured lanes
and houses with nearly 100% cristinely left from their initial building
with mossgrown walls, deeply plain roofs, old furniture in their past
arrangement ect. Hoi An is fortunate to be a cultural crossroads of
the Cham culture in the very first southward expansion of Dai

Viet( the Vietnamese nation more than 5 centuries ago encroaching
on the Indianized Kingdom of Champa, which covered much of what
is now central Vietnam), the Asian ( Japanese, Indian), and the
Western ones during their trading here in the 16 th century. These
diverse cultural influences remain visible today. Colourful guildhalls,
founded by ethnic chinese from Guangdong and Fujian provinces
,stand quietly, a testament to the town’s trading roots.
While Hoi An’s old – fashioned charm is always visible, on the
14th of every lunar month modernity takes another step back. Most
premium oriental and western style of architecture who are eager for
classic beauty! Even you are not classic styled, you still want to see
by yourself how a lively ancient world can cristinely survive in this
new modern and high-tech era. this monster, because the dog and the
monkey are sacred animals according to their Totem religion.


1. THE BRIDGE PAGODA
In front of us is a 18m roofed brigde across a rivulet of the Thu
Bon river.
Well, I am pretty sure that all of you have familiar feelings when
setting foot here, right?
Why is it so?
I am holding a polymer bill of 20.000 dongs. And as you can
see, the image which printed on this bill is Hoi An Bridge Pagoda.
This is also the reason why Bridge pagoda become familiar to all of
us.
It is called Cau bridge because the combination between a bridge
and a temple is found in this building. But, according to Hoi An
people, the building with place for worshiping and incense burning is
called “pagoda”. So the bridge and the pagoda combine to make the

“ Bridge pagoda”. And this bridge has had three times of
restorations. Noticeably, athough through the building underwent
many times of restorations as such, its foundation has never been
restored. It has been kept unchanged from the begining. And no one
knows exactly the time it was built, but legend has it that at the two
end of the brigde there were two statues of the dog and the monkey.
Just, it is said that this pagoda was built within 3 years. The


construction started in the year of the monkey and ended in the year
of the dog, in the 15th century.
However for Hoi An people, the couple of stone statues
symbolizes luck. As you can see, the stone statues in the ready
position dispel misfotunes , and guard people peaceful life.
Now, we come in to the pagoda.
Ok, now all of you please follow me to go to see the bridge. On
the main entrance, there is a large plate embossed 3 Chinese
characters “ Lai Vien Kieu” which means “ Bridge of Friends From
Afar” or “ Welcoming the bridge” as a reminder of warm friendship
between Vietnam and Japan in the years of the 16th century.
Please look at there, you’ll see the “ door eyes” (mắt cửa) .
Almost old house in Hoi An have “door eyes”. It is considered the
soul of the house. This is the wooden circle blocks engraved with
yin-yang symbol, the diagram of the eight divinatory sign ( Bat
Quai), the tiger the dragon etc .people believe that it may scare away
evil spirits and bring good luck to their houses. Inside, the style is
more Sino- Vietnamese. The bridge is arched and paved with blocks
of wood. On both small plinths were once used to display goods for
sales.The patterns and decorations, lacquered and sculpted,
harmoniously integrate Sino-Nippon Western art.



Please gather at the corridor of the bridge to listen to the
presentation.
Cau pagoda is another name of “Japan” bridge. It was called
Japan brigde because it was built by japanese. The builders of the
bridge believed that Hoi An was the middle section of the back of a
giant “mamazu”, a monster similar to the Asian dragon which was
believed to be the cause of all earthquakes in Japan and whose head
was supposed to be in Indian, the body in Vietnam and whose tail
was said to be in Japan.
The bridge built at that very pleace to act like a aword planted
into the back of the monster to expel it and bring a peace full life for
people. People said that after the construction of Bridge Pagoda,
there was a remarkable decrease in the number of earthquakes in
Japan.
My dear ladies and gentlemen, let’s move forward a little bit to
see how sophisticatedly the bridge was designed.
In the middle, it is the way which was designed to be domed,
and the two sides are small corridors where visitors can stop for a
rest.
The bridge was designed with “House above , bridge below”
which means that the house is above the bridge. Another unique


point at bridge pagoda lies in the pagoda built at this pagoda. This is
a special thing only in Bridge Pagoda in Hoi An.
Yeah I just caught some of your finding eyes. Are you looking
for Buddha statue? Though it is called “pagoda”, the temple hasn’t
Buddha statue. In the middle of the main hall, there is only one place

for worshiping Bac De Tran Vo – a protector God of the region who
can protect inhabitants from disaters and help them live peacefully
and prosperously. Finally,with invaluable merits mentioned above,
the Bridge Pagoda was recognized by UNESCO as a past of the
wordl’s culture heritage in December 1999.
Ok my dear ladies and gentlemen,observations is the best
teacher .And now please spend 15 minutes sighseeing freely.
Then I will meet you at the left door of Bridge Pagoda to
continue to see the Nguyen Tuong family chapel.
2. THE NGUYEN TUONG FAMILY CHAPEL
Welcome to the Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel
The Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel is located at 8/2 Nguyen Thi
Minh Khai street,Hoi An city. Next to Japanese Covered Bridge,
Monument Ethnic Church of Nguyen Tuong has become a new
tourist spot in the architectural complex of Ancient Town Hoi An – a
World Cultural Heritage.


It was built in 1806 more than 200 years ago. The local people
often call the Nguyen Tuong Family Temple “Ong Lon Palace”
(Dinh Ông Lớn), which was built in the beginning of 19 th century.
The Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel was recognized as a provincial
historic, cultural and architectural vestige by the People’s Committee
of Quang Nam. It is said that the Ong Lon Palace had been
embellished in the 3rd Duy Tan year of 1909 and was renovated in
2005 by the State. Currently, it has been well-kept and preserved by
the 10th descendants.
This family Chapel was built of our ancestor Nguyen Tuong
Van (1774-1882).He was Headmaster of


Royal Army(defense

minister) of Nguyen dynasty in 19th century, Sir Nguyen Tuong Van,
born in Thanh Hoa province, who had followed King Nguyen Anh
moving Southward and settled down at Gia Dinh town. Later he
accompanied King Nguyen Anh to go and fight enemies in Quang
Nam province. After winning the battle, Sir Van stopped at Dai
Chiem beach, Hoian town and he decided to settle down there for a
long time..Up to now,Sir Van’s family has passed with fourteen
generations.
It was one of the unique, old houses in Hoi An, with a mixture
of architectural features from Viet Nam, China and Japan.In the roof
you can look some Chinese letters on one wooden stick.


The house was constructed based on an old design taken from a
royal house and on the principle of Ying-Yang. The roof, columns,
doors and girders are all laid out with perfect balance and symmetry.
Frame house was made by many wooden sticks and foundation of
house was made by many stones.It make safe for house if it is
stormy or flooding.
There are two steps the male,the female,leading to the chapel
entrace, separation patio furniture section work as the three-door
“But lowering the upper” each of which has for wings.
The first interrior follows the stye “hidden pillars” beams on
pillars.Beams

combined

were


space

following

the

style

of”VietNamese traditional house”. The second interior follows the
style with beams according to shape of pumpkin all look vivid. The
third interior follows the stye of roof with craft show shape with the
effect of supporting the higher spatial parts creating more
airiness.The prop for roof with crab shell shape was built to create
carved daisy holed shape with the meaning of eternity,longevity,..
In the centre,it is main altar.You can look portrait of Sir Nguyen
Tuong Van,Head Master of Royal Army.He built this chapel in
1806.It was drawn by Chinese artist when he came to China and was
ambassador there in 19th century. In main altar,you can look about 40
original decrees that our Kings to give Sir Vambn in the old day


when he worked. There are two windows in this chapel.One these
window, we can see fruit”Buddha hand”and chrysanthemum,it
symbol of shaking hand symbolize for peace,wealth and friendly for
everybody.
In state of 1930s-1945,one writer group was established.They
are writer:Nhat Linh,Thach Lam,Hoang Dao(Tu Luc Van Doan)they
are fifth generation of Sir Van.They wrote many famous novels
which we put in three bookcase,you can look. Behind of chapel, still

keep three famous original paintings of one of them,writer Nhat
Linh,they was draw in 1946-1950. Therewith,We can see, Vases
couple made by wooden carving was an altorelievo of dragon,more
than 100 years old.
However, this chapel is quite different from other old houses in
the city. Ancient houses in the downtown area are long with a tubular
shape and were built on small areas of land in a crowded city. But
the Nguyen Tuong family house is a mixed design for a worshipping
house. It's typical of “nha ruong” architecture (a ruong house is built
with many beams and pillars and includes a surrounding garden)
which is a trademark in the former imperial capital of Hue City.
Tourists can visit the house while wandering in the old quarter in
Hoi An City. The Nguyen Tuong family chapel opens from 8am to
9pm daily.


3. CAM PHO COMMUNE HALL:
Ladies and gentlemen, now, we continue the journey to discover
the ancient Hoi An. We will visit one is the most old commune hall
in Hoi An. Its name is Cam Pho commune hall.
Now, we are standing in front of the gate of the commune hall.
You can look up at the gate. A stone incription is fastened with four
large Chinese character “ Cam Pho Huong Hien”.
Now, please, follow me inside it. The Dinh was built rather early
and took on shape of Chinese character Quoc with the praying hall
and two sides are west and east house. Before, The dinh is for
worshipping Thanh Hoang, Lady Dai Can and the gods were reclaim
this village. After the dinh was the frist restored in the nineth
century ( 1897), the dinh is for worshipping tien hien – whose merits
were etablishing the village. You can look up at the roof, are you

look two beams: red beam and yellow beam? They had made to mark
the restoration of the dinh. The red beam inscription with words
Chinese character: in the year Mau Dan, the seventeenth year of Gia
Long era ( 1818), the officer, old villager, officals are be long to Cam
Pho commune were restored the dinh togethere. The yellow beam
inscription with words :in the Mao Dan, the fifteenth year of Thanh
Thai era , good day, the Cam Pho commune was restored the dinh.


Every year, the villager opens festival twice a year on the
sixteenth day of the frist lunar month and on the sixteenth day of the
eighth lunar month.
4. THE MUSEUM OF SA HUYNH CULTURE :
Next, we continue go to visit a sighsee in Hoi An. Dear ladies
and gentlemen, we are standing in the Museum of Sa Huynh culture,
a typical museum of th ancient Hoi An. The museum was established
in 1994, and displays a unique collection of artefacts from Sa Huynh
culture, considered to be the first settlers of the port town, who
cooperated and traded with countries in Southeast Asia, South India
and China. This collection provides visitors with useful information
about the ancient Sa Huynh culture's inhabitants and is mostly related
to burial customs, conceptions of life and death, the developmental
history of the region, and relationships with other cultures. Of
particular significance is a collection from Bai Ong - a site on Cham
Island - which traces Sa Huynh culture back by 3000 years. These
collections are considered the largest and most unique collection of
Sa Huynh artefacts in Vietnam. There are a total of 216 exhibits in
the museum with approximately 2000 years.
Archaeological features of Sa Huynh culture was buried burnt
pottery jars used as coffins. And here are the types of tombs

belonging Sa Huynh culture: tomb pot, tomb pyramid shape, urms,...


And you can visit museum a round, photograph.
5. THE FOOD AND DRINK
Continuning the journey, we will go eat one kind of famous
sweet gruel at here. Are you agree? Yes, let’s go. Food in Hoi An is,
even by high Vietnamese standards, cheap and tasty . and i will
introduction to you, this is Ba Nam’s seet gruel shop. This shop is
exist long time and very famous at Hoi An. Each bowl sweet lotus
seed gruel at here is priced ten thousand dong. In addition, Hoi An is
particularly famous for: sweet corn grurl, tao pho, the best Madam
Phuong’s bread in the world , Cao lầu: a dish of rice noodles which
are not quite as slippery as pho and a bit closer in texture to pasta.
The secret is the water used to make it, and authentic cao lau uses
only water from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped
with slices of roast pork, dough fritters, and this being Vietnam, lots
of fresh herbs and veggies. And noodles Quang,...
I hope that with this sweet lotus seed gruel bowl, we are more
strength to continue us journey in today. And, we continue to move
to the next sighsee.
6. FUJIAN ASSEMBLY HALL IN HOI AN
Hoi an in the past was the trading port gathering many chinese
and japanese traders. Noticeably, there are many assembly halls.
Let’s come to an assembly hall to learn more about cultural life of


traders in the 17th – 18th centuries. In font of us is Fujian assembly
hall . The Fujian assembly halls in Hoi An was estabished in the year
1697. This was the rendezvous of traders who were native to Fukian

and did business in Quang Nam in the 18th century. On february 17th ,
1990, this assembly hall was recognized as a national relic of history
and culture.
Fujian Assembly Hall bears all the fundamental features in
structure of a Chinese Assembly Hall. Its ornate gate and colourful
courtyard with fountains make the temple very photogenic. Built
around 1690 with the main gate added much later, the assembly hall
is also a World Cultural Heritage site and is much visited today by
those seeking a glimpse of this superb piece of architecture.
Stepping inside the Assembly Hall, tourists can comfortably
contemplate the impressive apricot blossoms-shaped aquarium, the
picture of "the carp turns into the dragon", the entrance gate with
unique architecture, and the forecourt with numerous breathtaking
ornamental plants.
Setting foot in the assembly hall, tourists would be surprised at
the skillful hands of ancient artisans who have created magnificent
architectural works. Assembly Hall architecture is according to
“Tam” typeface in the order: gate – courtyard – lake – ornamental


plants – two blocks in the east and west – the front hall – the back
yard – and the back hall.
As you see, above us are large –scale insence coils. Each coil
burns for about 1 month. You will write your wish on small pieces of
paper and hang them on coils here to pray for good luck,
peacefulness and happiness.
• THE MAIN HALL
Fujian assembly hall was built in 1697, delicated to the goddess
of Thien Hau Thanh Mau and other goddess of river, fortune and
childbirth(thần bảo gộ về sông nước, tiền của, con cái). This is not

only the rendezvous(đồng hương) of Fujian natives but also a temple
for the worship of goddesses. At the assembly hall, you can admire
original architectural buildings with sparkling beauty and elaborately
carved motifs. The main hall is delicated to the goddess of Thien
Hau holy mother, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva(quan thế âm bồ tát) ,
god of wealth(thần tài) , 3 fairies of childbirth(3 vị chúa sanh thai)
and 12 heavenly midwives (12 bà mụ). There are also many statues,
bronze drums , bronze bells, huge insence burners, 14 horizontal
lacquered boards(14 bức hoành phi) and many other valuable items.
• SAILING BOAT


On the left, there is a model of a 1875 sailing boat .This is the
model of ship of chinese traders who came to do business in Hoi An.
As you know, from the 15th to 18th centuries, when Hoi An was
known as a trading port in the “ Dang Trong” area. Many traders
came to seek business opportunities here. To get to Hoi An at that
time, they had to follow the silk road which crossed the sea. This is
the model of the ship that carried those chinese traders here. You can
see 4 chinese characters on the ship: “Nhất” “Phàm” “Phong”
“Thủy” in every trip to the sea means safety and good luck. Thus the
altar for the goddess of Thien Hau Thanh Mau played an important
role in this ship. For chinese people, this is the goddess of sea. They
worship this goddess as same as we worship the Whale. It means that
the worship for this goddess is of great importance to those who are
going to go out to the sea. You can see the kitchen on the ship. It
took about 1 month from china to Viet Nam. Therefore, this hold was
equipped fully with the kitchen , the dining room, and bedrooms
Which were neccesary for 1 month journey from china to Viet Nam.
• THE BACK SANTUARY

As you see, the assembly hall is delicated to the goddess of
Thien Hau Thanh Mau. Behind the main hall is the back sanctuary.
At the front is a small lake for raising ornamental fish. A big dragon
whose head is grafted with turquoise enamel porcelain and colorful
glass pieces twists around the lake. The head looks very lively and


beautiful. A unicorn embossed on the wall, at the back of the hall, is
depicted playing with the dragon above the lake, to form the scene of
“dancing dragon and unicorn”. In the santuary hall, there are 3 altar
platforms: One is delicated to six esteemed generals who joined the
movement to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the glory of the
Ming dynasty; the right altar is delicated to the god of wealth, and
the left one is delicated to 3 fairies of childbirth and 12 heavenly
midwives.
There are lots of animal symbols in the design and architecture
of the Fujian assembly hall in Hoi An. The mosaic fountain inside
the assembly hall bears a fish sculpture that is a symbol of
achievement. Besides the fish, there are other animals such as
dragon, unicorn, phoenix turtle, and so on. All there animals signify
different features of the chinese culture . The dragon is symbol of
power and the turtle signifies endurance. On the other hand, the
unicorn is a symbol of knowledge and the phoenix represents
nobility.
And This is all the beauty of the Phuc Kien assembly hall. Now
you can visit in there for 10 minutes.
7. HOI AN HANDICRAFT WORKSHOP
Hoi An handicraft work shop located at 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc
street.



Now let’s come to an interesting destination: the Hoi An
handicraft workshop . This is the place where exhibits and introduces
12 traditional handicraft of Hoi An such as pottery, carpentry, lantern
art, conical hat, woven rattan, woodcarving,... Since the early years
of 15-16th centuries, handicrafts was born and flourished in Hoi An
over hundreds of years and has been handed down from generation
to generation, handicraft products of Hoi An have reached virtuosity,
contributed to the prosperity of Hoi An port town in previous
centuries.
And today, Hoi An Handicraft Workshop reconstructs that
traditional part, produced locally handcrafted products with high
quality, not only supply for goods souvenir market of Hoi An but
also spread everywhere. Some products, such as lanterns, decoration
wax lights, lacquer have found markets in Europe and America.
Visit Hoi An Handicraft Workshop, tourists will have a close look
about the creation of beautiful handmade products, through the
skillful hands of craftsmen, and may participate in some simple
processes, getting interesting experiences during the trip to Hoi An
ancient town.
And If you want, You can make by yourseft handicraft products
as gift for your family and friends. This is the Thanh Ha pottery. It is
one of traditional types of pottery in Quang Nam. Now you can try
making a pottery product for myseft with the enthusiatic help of a
potter. Besides, at this stall you can make colorful lanterns on your
own.
Now we go to the exhibition


Hoi An Handicraft Workshop is also a suitable place to buy

some quality handicraft products with reasonable price. In this space,
silk or handmade embroidery paintings are also found. They are part
of Hoi An’s tourism products.
In addition, Hoi An Handicraft Workshop also has a cozy small
theater, performing. the repertoire of traditional arts for tourists to
enjoy. Beyond the retail aspect, you can experience local folk dances,
mini operas and songs up close here. Performances are free for those
who have purchased on old town ticket. In the front is your typical
tourist-oriented cultural show (10.15am and 3.15pm) with traditional
singers, dancers and musicians. It makes a sufficiently diverting
break from sightseeing.
8. OLD HOUSE OF TAN KY
Located at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, in the Old Quarter
of Hoi An Ancient Town, Old house of Tan Ky is an almost perfect
example of a 18th merchant’s residence in this major commercial
port town.
The name old house of Tan Ky itself suggests that the building is
one of the remotest historical building in Hoi An. The age of the old
house is approximately a couple of centuries. The old house reflects
the combination of both Japanese and Chinese architectural geniuses.
So while visiting the small town Hoi An, you must also visit this Old


house of Tan Ky to encounter great historical and cultural
significance of Viet Nam.
Old house of Tan Ky was built by a Minh Huong( a Chinese
native). In spite of the decline in business of the town and the huge
devastation of annual floods, seven generations of the family have
continuously strive to keep the house in good condition. Therefore
though it’s not the oldest, Tan Ky is the most well-preserved in Hoi

An.
When having built the house, Kim Bong carpenters perfectly
coordinated three ancient architectural styles of Vietnam - Japan China. The first pavilion is designed 3 small apartments inside in
accordance with traditional Vietnamese architecture with the yinyang tile-covered roof. It is also a highlight of whole house with a
series of trusses, rafters sophisticatedly carved with intricate shapes:
pumpkins, mailboxes, bats, and ribbons. These carvings hide their
own symbolic significance… Japanese architectural style is evident
in the structure of the old house; meanwhile Chinese architecture is
shown in "crab shell" rafters. Arch architecture with the ribbon
wrapping around two swords is characteristic of ancient Chinese
people. The house strongly represents features of Oriental
philosophy, such as the triple-beam structure (stands for heaven,
earth and humans), the five round blocks (represent metal, wood,
water, fire and earth – the five basic natural elements in Eastern


philosophy) and several decorative carvings on the edge of the roof
and furniture. Amongst several pieces in the house, the most famous
ones are two vertical panels next to the central courtyard, which are
inscribed with parallel sentences. What surprising about this piece is
that each stroke of writing is an illustration of a bird. One hundred
birds in total represent perfection.
There are many of the house’s details, which have remained
unchanged to this day, including the storage area, the outside
structure made of bricks and tiles, floor covered with Bat Trang
bricks. The use of jack-fruit trees, ironwood and peck-wood for
inside furniture with thick roofs and wooden walls has kept the house
cool in summer and warm in winter. There are four rooms in the Old
house of Tan Ky, Hoi An. All these rooms are small in size, but
packed with various beautiful antiques. These four rooms are for four

diferent pusposes. One is for welcoming the Chinese merchants and
the other are living room, courtyard and the bedroom. You can enter
the other three rooms except the bedroom. It will be better if you take
a guide with you. She can give you all the details of the old house.
Tan Ky Old House bearing tubular architecture is the typical
architecture of the ancient town. It is divided into many smaller
apartments with its own functions. None of them supports any
windows. However, unlike other pipe-shaped houses in new urban
zones in Vietnam, ancient houses in Hoi An have no stifling feelings,


thanks to the ventilation in the frontispiece, side rear and skylight. In
particular, the most impressive architecture in Old House of Tan Ky
is the construction without the use of any tacks. Tan Ky is also an
unique old house in Hoi An welcoming leaders of Vietnam and
international countries to visit: General Secretary Nong Duc Manh,
President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, General
Secretary - President of China Jiang Zemin (Giang Trach Dan),
President of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra... It is also one of a few
houses remaining intact architectures and being the most beautiful in
Vietnam today.
The back of the house faces the river and was rented out to
foreign merchants. Marks on one wall record recent flood heights,
including the 1964 record when the water covered almost the entire
ground level. There are two pulleys attached to a beam in the loft –
in the past they were used for moving goods into storage, and today
for raising furniture for safekeeping from the floods.
The old house was recognized as a World Natural Heritage by
UNESCO. Taking a visit to Tan Ky Old House, tourists will have the
opportunity to ascertain much more about typical architectures in

building Hoi An commercial port which was once flourished.
9. BAI CHOI SINGING


Hoi An is even more beautiful at night when hundreds of
lanterns are lit. The ancient town is lively thanks to popular games
that take place in the streets attracting both residents and tourists.
The most popular traditional game is “bai choi”, a game similar to
bingo accompanied by Vietnamese traditional folk music.
No one knows exactly when bai choi appeared. It was dated
from 300 - 400 years ago and played during every Spring Festival in
Thua Thien Hue Province.
The show which takes place along the Hoai River attracts the
attention of visitors with the exciting sounds of singing and audience
applause. The Bai Choi stage was first set up by the Hoi An Culture
and Sports Center to recreate the atmosphere of a full-moon night in
the ancient town and introduce tourists to the local culture. Now the
game is growing and more popular among local residents as well.
On the stage there are 9 bamboo stands, each stand
accommodating between 5 and 6 players, a “mother stand” with a
bamboo tube containing cards, and flags and a stand in the center,
where a music group plays. The cards, pasted on bamboo sticks, are
engraved with human figures, objects and animals. Each card
corresponds to a particular song. A player sings a song and the host
of the game listens and rings a wooden bell if he hears the song
corresponding to the image on his card. If the song is good, the


player receives a yellow flag. The singing continues and the player
with the most flags wins. The game is simple, but fun and exciting.

The songs promote patriotism, filial feelings, love, friendship
and people’s fine qualities and criticize social evils and backward
customs and practices. The singers sometimes improvise their own
words. On the stage of Bai Choi, typical folk tunes of south-central
Vietnam are performed. The winner of the game receives a beautiful
lantern, a specialty of Hoi An. But wining and losing are not
important. What matters is being part of a lively and authentic show
in one of Vietnam’s most charming cities.
The Bai Choi game and singing are like spiritual food for Hoi
An people.