Thursday, May 25, 2023 Chan May, Vietnam Hoi An City - Evening Beauty

 Thursday, May 25, 2023  

Chan May is on the water but there is nothing around there except coal waiting to be shipped.  

Hoi An City - Evening Beauty  3:45 departure  6 hours

Lovely evening but very hot.

Drove to Hoi An then took the electric cart to the ancient town.  It was a lovely old town with a lot of interesting buildings.  Many were decorated with lanterns.   As we entered the old town there were many booths selling things and people hawking "junk",  

There were many lanterns reflected in the water and at least six large lotus flowers floating in the center of the river near the Japanese bridge.  We visited a museum in an old building.  There was a collection from various archaelogical sites and cemetery excavations.  We could see the evolution through the ages pertaining to ceramics, and iron and stone tools.  Cultural layers were identified.

Our next stop was Hoi Quan Quang Dong/Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation.  We learned  about honoring the dead, decor of the temple including dragons, the color red, gold, characters used to communicate, etc. 

Our guide pointed out the design of the roofs of the buildings.  We also visited the Old House of Quan Than.  It is the shop-house of a Chinese Merchant from the late 17th century.  The guide pointed out the upper beams, upright bars, hidden pillars, and connected rafters. The arched roof added artistic value and improved ventilation.  The antiquities were interesting.  

When it was dark there was a lot of drumming and noise from fire crackers.  There were many boats in the river decorated with lanterns floating down the river, circling around the lotus flowers and returning back down the river.   In addition to the lanterns you could purchase a little box that would float in the river after you wrote a wish on a piece of paper.  A candle was lit and placed in the box with your wish.  Then they were floated in the river.

After our time watching all the lanterns floating by, we went to dinner at a local restaurant.  Dinner was okay, I can be a bit of a picky eater.  We were served Vietnamese food family style.  At the end of the night, we took the electric carts back to the bus and began our long ride back to the ship.  

                                Boats on the river.

                                        Lanterns on the streets.

                                            Dragon in front of the temple