The Chinese Assembly Halls of Hoi An

Until the end of the 18th century, Hoi An was Vietnam’s main port-of-call, and home to a large number of foreign traders. Above all, the city was popular with the Chinese, many of whom established a permanent presence among the Vietnamese. Communities from the various regions of China built Assembly Halls: social and religious buildings in which they could congregate and worship their ancestral gods.

Today, five of the Chinese Assembly Halls can be visited under Hoi An’s (ridiculous) ticket...