Hoi An's reputation

Is it appropriate to begin an article about Hoi An now with a few lines from the poem "Hoi An" written by Che Lan Vien 35 years ago (published in "Che Lan Vien's Posthumous Poems," Volume III)? Probably not, because in that amount of time, people already know that Hoi An is not Che's hometown; but as for the "fragrance" in "Fragrance? Oh, how easy it is to forget…" (to forget), no one knows what kind of fragrance it is, so let's continue to speculate.

Certainly, the author of "Desolation" employed rhetorical devices in this line of poetry. The word "fragrance" being close to "homeland" doesn't necessarily share the same meaning as "homeland" or "village" in Thoi Hieu's poem "Homeland at Sunset."

(鄉) quan hà xứ thị/ Yên ba giang thượng sử nhân sầu" (Tản Đà's translation: Homeland hidden by the setting sun/ Smoke and waves on the river sadden the heart); and "Hương" here refers to fragrance, scent (香), like "The lamp's shadow shines on the sleepless/ The heart hears the wondrous fragrance" (Dai Van Temple, Tan Cong's room - Du Fu)... Applying this to the context of composing the poem "Hoi An," which is linked to the poet Che's love for a girl from Central Vietnam at that time, we know that "Fragrance? Oh, how difficult…" is the fragrance of love, the fragrance of the city - the author's deep and enduring affection for this famous land of pure and kind people.

Tiếng thơm Hội An- Ảnh 1. — Hoi An's vibrant energy shines through its moss-covered narrow alleys.

"Becoming a full member of UNESCO's Global Creative Cities Network is an extremely significant event, contributing to the goal of enhancing the status and brand of Hoi An, and promoting the image of Vietnam and its people, including the people of Hoi An - Quang Nam , to friends around the world," emphasized Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City (pictured).

The scent of the city, or the scent of the streets, is a very unique characteristic of Hoi An. Anyone who sets foot in this ancient, tranquil city on the Hoai River, if they pay a little attention, will clearly sense the scent of Hoi An.

The most pleasant and soothing scent is that of agarwood. Agarwood is a local specialty, and the craft of making it has a tradition spanning hundreds of years. Walking through the streets on any day, you'll easily encounter the faint aroma of agarwood. On full moon nights, lantern festivals, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and especially in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the scent of agarwood emanates from the offerings along the rows of ancient houses, or wafts in from the Hoai River, or from outside Cua Doi... it's truly delightful. It seems to envelop wandering footsteps, making people slow down to feel the gentle rhythm of life here.

The scent of incense calms the soul, especially in the late afternoon or at night. Along with the lantern light, the dark brown tiled roofs, the small streets and winding alleys, and the floating lanterns on the river… it transports one back to the life of a port city from a thousand years ago. Take a stroll through Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, and Bach Dang streets on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet (Lunar New Year's Eve), pause for a few minutes before the New Year's Eve offering laid out by the homeowner, and take a deep breath of the incense until your lungs are full. You will never forget Hoi An. Believe me…

That is the scent of heritage.

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Hoi An gets more valuable the older it gets. Just like mossy walls, which people in other cities often dislike, in Hoi An, mossy walls are considered a... specialty.

Through the long, cold, rainy winter days, the warm spring mornings burst forth with golden sunshine flooding the streets. Suddenly, one notices the vibrant green moss covering the tiled roofs of the ancient houses and the walls of the narrow alleyways. Hoi An's vitality is expressed in a remarkably diverse way.

Tiếng thơm Hội An- Ảnh 2. — The nostalgic yellow walls are typical of Hoi An. Photo: Vo Van Tien

Mossy walls have become popular check-in spots for young people and tourists from all over, and a favorite photo spot for many newlyweds. I have a cousin who, despite having already chosen her wedding date, had to ask her parents to postpone it, solely to wait for the "mossy walls of Hoi An" to take wedding photos. And it was truly amazing! Looking at her photo album, especially the pictures taken in the mossy alley at 51 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, it's like something out of a fairy tale. Many award-winning international photography photos by Vietnamese photographers were also taken in these mossy alleys.

The moss-covered wall, not green but mottled, once very famous in Hoi An, is the old wall on Hoang Van Thu Street. Just stand there, strike a pose, and you'll get stunning photos that will last a lifetime. It seemed unattractive at first, but it turned out to be incredibly beautiful! One day, the wall was repainted in a bright yellow, brightening up a whole corner of the street. There was a touch of regret, but then the new wall continued to be a popular check-in spot for many domestic and international tourists. A poignant yellow, a nostalgic yellow – truly Hoi An style! And the beautiful photos from that era "traveled" all over the world , further promoting the Hoi An brand.

I suddenly remembered the poetic line "The delicate fragrance of time" from Doan Phu Tu's poem "The Color of Time." In Hoi An, there's never a shortage of green—the color of vitality—mixed with the characteristic yellow of nostalgia in the ancient town. Thanks to this subtle blending and connection of the present and the past, this World Heritage site remains captivating. Where else knows how to create such allure with the "fragrance of time" as Hoi An!?

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On the evening of December 31, 2023, the ancient town of Hoi An was more crowded than ever since mid-2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit. The throngs of people flocked to the ancient town not only because of the irresistible allure of an internationally renowned tourist destination, but also because that night this heritage city witnessed a momentous occasion: the announcement that Hoi An had joined UNESCO's Global Creative Cities Network.

This is the result of a long process of determined pursuit by local leaders, along with the undeniable strength and many great values of the ancient city.

What factors helped Hoi An join the aforementioned network? It's its two strengths: handicrafts and folk arts. Regarding handicrafts, Hoi An currently has over 50 traditional crafts being preserved and developed. As for folk arts, Bài Chòi singing is a local specialty. Looking more broadly, Hoi An's strength lies in its culture. In its Creative City proposal submitted to UNESCO, Hoi An affirmed: "Culture is the backbone of our city's economy today, with direct contributions from cultural industries and indirect contributions by providing resources for tourism services and related value chains. The entire cultural sector and related services contributed 73.85% (2019) and 49.46% (2022) to the city's GDP."

Speaking at the announcement ceremony on the evening of December 31, 2023, Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City, affirmed: "For more than two decades, since the ancient town of Hoi An became a World Cultural Heritage site, Hoi An has always placed culture at the center of its construction and development process, considering culture as the key factor to promote socio-economic development and increase people's income."

That assessment is absolutely correct. Looking at Hoi An today, it's easy to see that local residents are involved in a wide range of economically valuable crafts such as incense making, lantern making, pottery, carpentry, bamboo and coconut processing, tailoring, and vegetable farming… Tourists also feel like they are living in a city of diverse arts, with photo exhibitions, music performances, street dances, folk singing, traditional opera, and performances of traditional theater, as well as programs like "Memories of Hoi An," "Ancient Town Night," and "Heritage Journey"…

There's no end to the praise for Hoi An. So many international accolades have been bestowed upon this city; listing them all would be superfluous. The ancient town's charm stems from its excellent preservation, the genuine hospitality of its people, and its profound cultural depth – all of which contribute to Hoi An's reputation and attract visitors from all over the world. It's a case of "fragrance spreads far and wide"! Thanks to these qualities, Hoi An maintains its status as a leading tourist city in Asia and the world.

The scent of Hoi An, therefore, as Che Lan Vien perceived, is "not easily forgotten"...

"Becoming a full member of UNESCO's Global Creative Cities Network is an extremely significant event, contributing to the goal of enhancing the status and brand of Hoi An, and promoting the image of Vietnam and its people, including the people of Hoi An - Quang Nam, to friends around the world," emphasized Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City (pictured).