Hoi An’s nightly serenades | CheapAsiaTours.com

When the sun sets, and night falls Hoi An fills with the sound of romance. As dusk gently envelopes it, the ancient town unfolds its charm and inspires any –and everyone wandering through this historic space, Hoi An at night is a serenade filled with the sounds and lyrics of history, culture, architecture, people and life.

Hoi An’s ancient town is a world cultural heritage site. It differs strongly from other relics of historic significance in Vietnam. Often history is associated with spaces that no longer have an everyday use, but are corded off to be admired from afar. However, Hoi An is a town alive with the hustle and bustle of daily life. It is not a demonstration, reproduction or representation, rather Hoi An is a living museum, containing great spiritual value, cultural significance and physical heritages. These are the biggest value of Hoi An and they are being maintained by the town residence themselves.

At night, people can feel the spirit of those who inhabit it the best. During the day tour in Hoi An is busy and all about the joy and bustle of modern life. But at night a peace and quietness settles mixed with a nostalgic melancholia typical of ancient towns. Night evokes something that is hidden in the day and the bright spirit of the day turns more blurry and mystical. And the magic of twilight lends street corners, mustard yellow facades and the tiny allies even more charm.

A street performance of Bai Choi Singing

If Hoi An’s nights were songs they would be sweet serenades. Romantic but not sand and hopeless, songs with easily understandable lyrics and beautiful instrumental parts. Serenades are not for the masses, but rather they pose delicacy and the high standard of classical music, yet they evoke simplicity and the comfort of everyday life. Serenades harmoniously merge voice and piano tunes. The lyrics are carried by piano tones, delivered like a poem. But serenades emphasize the accompanying instruments they are more than just background noise. When at their most perfect these songs leave nothing that could be changed as they possess equilibrium of music and lyrics. They are the perfect harmony,

conjuring up history, culture, architecture and human life. Much like Hoi An’s nights which are so perfect precisely because all parts of the little town are in balance.

Hoi An’s small scale lends the town much of its charm. Much like serenades are best performed and listened to in intimate settings with only few listeners the town is best explored when quiet settles at night. Romantic feelings are stirred by emotional tunes when they are not restricted by beats and rhythm. Sadness and happiness are equally soft and deep or to quote a musician: Serenades are easier to listen to than instrumental pieces but they are not simple and unsophisticated like mainstream music tends to be. It required listeners to have life experience and focus on the song.

For Hoi An’s nights the same holds true. In order to fully appreciate it a sensitivity of the soul is required!

Photo: Cao Lau street vendor (Hoi An street food tour)

Hoi An lantern shop at night

For me, visiting Hoi An always feels like a return. When I am away I miss Hoi An town as if it were my lover. Whenever I see her again feelings of expectation, longing, anxiety, happiness and wanting to burst into tears all mix and bubble up simultaneously. Whenever I come to town, I am at my happiest when I fully immerse myself. And Hoi An town seems have grown more beautiful, more marvelous, more gentle, more charming and more mysterious every time I visit. Wandering its streets I never feel bored as every time I turn around I notice something new, a change, something I have never seen before. Time has changed Hoi An and keeps doing so. Dark brown tile roofs exude an air of sophisticated silence; doors are quiet invitations and shadows move slowly. I like to wander through the small lanes filled with quietness and peace. Time has left it markets here and each shadow of an ancient house, each tree, a puddle of water by the well left by someone fetching water late at night tell their own story. And when you tilt your head back to look up into the beautiful sky you may just glimpse the lonely moon modestly illuminating the small town like it has done for centuries.

The night draws people together, friendly faces, smiles and affectionate voice remove all sadness. Each street corner offers me familiar images: an old woman selling Thanh Ha pottery in Tran Phu Street, a women selling tea in Hoang Van Thu Street, a man playing the violin in front of an ancient house. The tanned smiling faces of cyclo drivers always remind me that I both want to stay for a little while longer and am rushing to leave, cheap Vietnam tour package.

Cau Pagoda is as colorful as a rare jewel. It is located by the Hoai River, which flows slowly past in the sparkling lights. Street corners, houses, doors, tree canopies, the rivers and people always in motion create an emotion of an endless warm romance like the breath, the kiss of a sweet love. And all steadily becomes more quiet and slow when the lights are turned off in the doorways, when no more footsteps can be heard in the street and a certain magical atmosphere fill the quiet air. One last bass tone quietly raises like a dream beckoning the little town to sleep.