The best spots to use your Hoi An Ancient Town tickets

You got your ticket to Hoi An Ancient Town and a list of attractions to use it on. Now, where to start? Each Ancient Town ticket gets you access to 5 of the 22 sites scattered all over this beautiful quarter. From assembly halls, historic houses, family chapels, to pagodas, shrines, and museums, exploring everything on this list can be overwhelming for first-time travelers, even if it’s the good kind. To help get you started, here are the best spots to use your Ancient Town tickets.

Japanese Bridge

The world-famous wooden Japanese Bridge not only connects the two quarters of the Ancient Town, it also houses a pagoda. The entire bridge is roofed over with interlocking yin-yang tiles. In the 1700s, former Vietnamese king Nguyen Phuc Chu renamed this bridge Lai Vien Kieu or ‘a bridge to welcome travelers from afar’.

Fujian Assembly Hall

The largest assembly hall in Ancient Town was first built in the 17th century and is an absolute head turner. The hall’s gorgeous outer gate features intricate carvings, only to be upstaged by the more elaborate three-entrance gate inside with stunning red bricks and exquisite roof ornaments.

Chinese Assembly Hall

The Chinese Assembly Hall, also called the Five Congregations Assembly Hall, is one of the rare blue buildings in Ancient Town. Chinese families in Hoi An used to gather here for special occasions, festivals, ceremonies, and language lessons. A wooden boat is kept inside the main hall to commemorate early Chinese merchants.

Hainan Assembly Hall

On the walls of Hainan Assembly Hall is an incredible story about the 108 Hainanese merchants who were wrongly captured and executed. Step inside this colorful assembly hall to admire beautiful murals, see a century-old copper burner up close, and explore the hall’s secret backyard.

Museum of Folk Culture

For a primer on Hoi An’s local life and traditional crafts, the Museum of Folk Culture is the perfect place to start. Learn about the town’s history of fishing, pottery, or lantern-making and examine models of fishing boats or weaving looms. Head upstairs to see more exhibits on costumes, religious ceremonies, and festivals.

Museum of Sa Huynh Culture

The museum of Sa Huynh Culture is dedicated to the earliest civilization in Hoi An. Here you’ll find jewelry and pottery that indicate a robust trading history between the Sa Huynh and other nations in the region, plus a unique collection of burial urns. The building is also a example of colonial architecture in the Ancient Town.

Tan Ky Ancient House

Seven generations of the Le family have lived in the Tan Ky Ancient House, including its current owners. Built in the 18th century by a wealthy Chinese merchant, the house incorporates Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese influences. Check out original furniture and household items such as a 600-year-old Confucius Cup.

Cam Pho Communal House

Cam Pho Communal House is the oldest communal house in Hoi An. Yellow-painted archways divide the main hall into separate sections with altars for gods, goddesses, and guardians according to traditional beliefs. The dragon mosaics on the roof are well-preserved and an excellent illustration of local craftsmanship.

Tran Family Chapel

A family chapel is dedicated to the worshiping of ancestors and houses the family’s most cherished heirlooms. Naturally, a lot of thought goes into building one, especially if the owner was a royal court official like Tran Tu Nhac. You can find gifts from the king and other valuable antiques at the Tran Family Chapel.

Getting your Hoi An Ancient Town tickets

Travelers can buy tickets at several ticket booths around Hoi An Ancient Town and entrance points on both sides of the Thu Bon River. Each ticket costs 120,000 VND and gets you into any 5 of the 22 attractions. You can buy more tickets if you wish to visit more sites. Tickets are valid within 24 hours.