A Morning in Hoi An — Site Visits

For today’s post, I again want to be brief so that I can get to the point and share my photography. Last December, in the before times, when travel felt sensible, I visited the Vietnamese port city of Hoi An. The historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, as it retains much of the same infrastructure and architecture from its history as a significant trading port from the 15th to the 19th century. This photo series represents a morning in town.

Early morning view of the streets of Hoi An

Red lanterns shining in the early morning, Hoi An

My last day in town, I left the hotel before sunset to photograph. The streets were lit sparingly. A few red lanterns awed me. The sound of motor bikes tearing through the silence made me feel a little anxious over how alone I was in a foreign city. In this mix of excitement, I gravitated towards the central market.

Entering the central market, early morning

The hawkers were in the middle of setting up. It was like visiting the storm clouds before the rain falls, with motorbikes beeping through, women organizing produce, but an ominously empty street. Basically, I was the only white guy around for the first half hour. As I walked into the sheltered market from the streets, I grew nauseous from the thick smell of animal flesh and iced fish.

Inside the meat market, bustling with early morning set up

View of a shop along the riverside Bạch Đằng Road

For reprieve, I left the market to photograph down the river. There was something surreal about visiting the center before it was filled with visitors and residents. It’s the sort of intoxicating feeling that keeps travelers traveling, a satisfaction in being somewhere new at the right place and the right time.

The town is endlessly charming, though fairly consistent in style. For that reason there are only a few obvious historic landmarks, so the covered Japanese bridge has assumed the role of city center and icon. It was built in the 18th Century by Japanese designers, and is adorned with Chinese symbols. It was opened in 1719 by Nguyen Phuc Chu Lord to literally bridge the canal that divided the Japanese and Chinese, (source). Now it serves the kind of role that only architecture can. It defines a cultural-rich city and provides a beacon at which people can gather.

Supposedly, the bridge was built during a time when Chinese and Japanese traders saw Hoi An to be among the best trading destinations in Southeast Asia. For myself, a random tourist, it still comes across as one of the best destinations in Southeast Asia. The historic center where I spent most of my time is painted a beautiful pastel yellow hue. The origin of the iconic aesthetic isn’t fully understood, credited either for its heat absorption, royal symbolism, or aesthetics, (source). The walkable city center offers a sublime density of shops with handmade trinkets, clothes, and even vegan banh mi. Seriously, it was the best vegan banh mi I’ve ever tried. I’d have two for each breakfast.

A stray dog barking at a motor bike, excited by the rising early morning activity

This next point is very important to me. There are DOGS !!! There are dogs who just walk around and bark at the motor bikes. Watching that white dog take on Big Motor is amongst the greatest moments of my life.

Woman setting up products for the day in the market

When I returned to the market, the sun was up and the tourists had found their way out. It gave new energy to the space. Different, but just as enjoyable. The sellers were in their element, chatting with their neighboring hawkers while the crowd of foreigners moved around them. Somehow, more motorbikes showed up. And there were young men carrying baskets with meat and greens.

Increased activity as light falls on the morning market

After another half hour moving back and forth with my camera to capture the moment, the beautiful morning light had grown harsher, and I was growing more hungry for the banh mi. So, the last thing I did was record the following audio from the market. Listening back to it now really brings me back. Enjoy!

Audio Recording at the Market

For this audio clip, I started on the quieter west side of the market, through the building, and out onto Tiểu La, where most of the shops were set up. The images below follow that narrative.

Quieter street to the northwest of the market

The bustling southeast corner of the market.

P.S.

Regarding my equipment, I was shooting with an old film lens attached to my canon SLR, and in the early morning I had it open to something like f/1.2. It provides a pleasant vignette to each of the early morning shots! I love it, I highly recommend that you do it yourself. Just order an adaptor through Amazon and it’ll get to you soon. Just be prepared for a little trial and error! Occasionally, the adapters do not fit.

Also, I was so inspired by the city that I ended up making a few buildings on Minecraft using yellow terracotta and dark oak wood planks. Nerdy, but a lot of fun!