Hoi An Ancient Town
A UNESCO site half an hour from Da Nang. On the 14th night of each lunar month the town cuts its lights and runs on lanterns.
Photo: Andre Hospers · CC BY 4.0
Hoi An lies about thirty kilometres south of central Da Nang, half an hour by road. UNESCO inscribed the old town as a World Heritage Site in 1999: a trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries whose houses, assembly halls and street frontages survive almost intact.
On the 14th night of each lunar month the town cuts its electric light and runs on lanterns alone, with paper lamps floated on the Hoai River. On other nights the lanterns still hang; only the lights stay on.
Since Quang Nam merged into Da Nang on 1 July 2025, Hoi An falls inside the host city’s own boundary — delegates reach a World Heritage Site without leaving the place they flew into.
At a glance
- Distance
- 30 km, about half an hour by road from the centre
- Inscribed
- UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1999
- Best time
- The 14th night of the lunar month, when the town goes dark
Fit it into your trip
The show runs 16 – 19 October 2026 at the Ariyana Convention Centre. Most international guests add two or three days either side of the four trading days.
Visitor registrationNearby destinations
Dragon Bridge & the Han riverfront
The dragon breathes fire and water on Saturday and Sunday nights. Walk the east bank at sunset, finish on a night cruise.
Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge
The cable car holds two world records. Go up before 9am to cross the Golden Bridge while cloud still covers it.
Limestone peaks & the stone carving village
Five limestone outcrops, the Huyen Khong cave, and the 400-year-old Non Nuoc stone carving village.