Hoi An Information
 Hoi
An pronunciation is a small town on the coast of South China Sea
in central Vietnam. It is located in the Qu?ng Nam province and
is home to approximately 80,000 inhabitants.
The former harbour town of the Champa
people at the estuary of the Thu Bon river
was an important trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries,
where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch
and Indians settled down. During this period of the China trade,
the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town), during the French occupation.
Originally Hai Pho was a divided town, because across the "Japanese
Bridge" used to be the Japanese settlement. The bridge (Chùa
c?u) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only
known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.
The town is known to the French and Spanish as Faifo; the name is
thought to be the result of a mis-communication between a local
habitant and a Spanish trader around the 17th century. The trader
asked whether the place was Pho and received the answer "Phai!
Pho." ("Yes! Pho.").
Symbol of Hoi An Ancient TownIn 1999, the old town was declared
World Heritage by the UNESCO, as a well-preserved example of a Southeast
Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings
display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.
Today, Hoi An is still a small town, but it attracts a fair number
of tourists, also being a well established place on the backpacker
trail. Many visit for the numerous art and craft shops and tailors,
who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western
price. Several internet cafés, bars and restaurants have
opened along the riverfront. Some popular evening venues, especially
with western visitors, are Tam Tam's restaurant and bar and the
Mango restaurant.
 Economy
Quang Nam is famous for its production of
Saigon Cinnamon.
Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi, also known as Vietnamese
cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia) is an evergreen tree in the genus
Cinnamomum, indigenous to mainland Southeast Asia. Despite its name,
it is more closely related to Cassia (C. aromaticum) than to Cinnamon
(C. verum), though in the same genus as both.
The scientific name was originally spelled as Cinnamomum loureirii,
but being named after the botanist João de Loureiro, this
is to be treated under the ICBN as an orthographic error for the
correctly derived spelling of loureiroi.
Production and uses
Saigon Cinnamon is produced primarily in Vietnam, both for domestic
use and export. The Vietnam War disrupted production, but since
the beginning of the early 21st century Vietnam has resumed export
of the spice, including to the United States, where it was unavailable
for nearly 20 years. Although it is called Saigon Cinnamon, it is
not produced in the area around the southern city of Saigon, but
instead in the central and northern regions of the country, particularly
the Qu?ng Nam Province of central Vietnam.
Saigon Cinnamon is used primarily for its aromatic bark, which
is quite similar to that of Cassia but with a more pronounced, complex
aroma.
In Vietnamese cuisine, Saigon Cinnamon bark is an important ingredient
in the broth used to make the noodle soup called ph?.
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