Hoi An and the Cham Holyland

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Hoi An is a lovely place, unscared by the war. Here exists temples and homes of rich merchant communities from China, Japan and Fiji.These communities used Ho An as base for their businesses in Vietnam. The temples and buildings are impressive and some are several hundred years old. There is an old covered bridge that was built by the Japanese and the town is a haven for tourists, with lots of Art Galleries and trinket shops.

Hoi An also has over 200 hundred tailor shops and it is possible to get a tailored suit made for 35-55 US dollars. I puschased one and thought i had a bargain until i realised i had to carry it for the next eight months!

Around 30km away are ancient temples of the Cham people, called My Son or the Cham Holyland. These temples have mostly been damaged by US bombs- but a few remained to give you a flavour of these structures. The chams worshiped the Hindu god Shiva and as a consequence their are many Lingua forms ( female phallic shaped stones) around the temples. The temples date back to th 7th - 14th century and are set in glorious countryside. The ruins are overgrown and fairly small but are one of the highlights of my trip to Nam.

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