Hội An - online puzzles

Hội An (Vietnamese: [hôjˀ aːn] (listen)), formerly known as Fai-Fo or Faifoo, is a city with a population of approximately 120,000 in Vietnam 's Quảng Nam Province and noted since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Old Town Hội An, the city 's historic district, is recognized as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century, its buildings and street plan reflecting a blend of indigenous and foreign influences. Prominent in the city 's old town, is its covered " Japanese Bridge ", dating to the 16th- 17th century.

Etymology

Hội An (會安) translates as "peaceful meeting place ". In English and other European languages, the town was known historically as Faifo. This word is derived from Vietnamese Hội An phố (the town of Hội An), which was shortened to "Hoi-pho", and then to "Faifo".

History

Between the seventh and 10th centuries, the Cham ( people of Champa) controlled the strategic spice trade and with this came tremendous wealth. The former harbour town of the Cham at the estuary of the Thu Bồn River was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho ( Seaside Town, 海庯) in Vietnamese.

Originally, Hai Pho was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the " Japanese Bridge " (16th- 17th century ).