A walk around Hoi An

This morning, a walk around the streets of Hoi An before it got 'too busy'.

Hoi An is well known for its silk industry so our first stop was at Thong Loi, a fine arts and handicraft manufacturer. We toured the silkworm breeding area, watched silk thread being spun from the cocoons and watched a silk weaving loom in action. One silk cocoon can give up to 1,000 metres of silk.

The woven fabric is used to make clothing and accessories. The art works are created by very delicate embroidery.

Once this process had been explained we were invited to peruse the framed finished products on the walls surrounding us. This entire process was gradually moving us into the main shop where we could have a shirt, dress, suit, etc made to measure by this afternoon…

The exit leads into a wood carving and lantern making area…

Morning tea was at the Reaching Out teahouse, an establishment employing handicapped people.

The Japanese Bridge was constructed in the 1590s to link the Japanese and Chinese quarters. Once over this bridge , we visited a Chinese Temple.

Lunch was at a local community farming project just outside Hoi An - the Tra Que Village, where the community has come together to create a large vegetable farm. Here we had a walk round the vegetable plots before having the opportunity to see how the farmers here work the land.

Lunch meant we each had to cook a Vietnamese Pancake and that was our first course - heat soy oil in frying pan, add chicken / pork / beef, add rice flour and water mix and herbs, add bean shoots, cover for ninety seconds then toss. Turn out onto rice paper, add mixed vegetable and roll. Very tasty.

We had a couple of hours free before heading off to walk to a show and dinner tonight. We had left washing with a local lady this morning. It was back at the hotel at 4.30 washed and dried. We headed off again at 5.00.Read more