FOUR SEASONS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 4 / 2 016

It was once the seat chosen by kings, emperors and merchant empires. Today, Vietnam’s central coast—home to exceptional beaches and gateway to three UNESCO sites— is in the midst of an inspired revival.

Beach BoundThe palm-fringed Cua Dai Beach near Hoi An lures visitors to quiet stretches of sand and sun.

By Gemma Z. Price Photography by Geoff Lung

108i love wandering Hoi An’s ancient cobbled streets, particularly during the full moon, when strings of lanterns bring the façades of ochre- walled 18th- and 19th-century European, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese shophouses alive with light and colour. Established in the 15th century, this tiny town on Vietnam’s central coast was a busy port until the mouth of the Thu Bon River silted up in the 19th century and all trade moved to Da Nang, 30 kilometres (18 miles) north. As a result, walking the pedes- trianized streets in Hoi An, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, feels like stepping back in time. Fishing boats bobbing on the canals blur the reflections of tradespeople hurrying home from their woodcarving, tailoring and painting shops for dinner. From cosy bars and restaurants set within timber-frame struc-tures, ambient lamplight and delicious smells attract hungry patrons like moths to a flame.

I always alight first at Vy’s Market—from the same proprietor as the excellent Mermaid and Cargo Club restaurants—and watch the cooks work elbow to elbow, preparing local street food specialties such as cau lao (fat rice-flour noodles, pork and local greens) and banh bao vac, or “white rose” dumplings (steamed, petal-shaped dumplings of rice flour with a filling of spiced pork or shrimp). For more contemporary fare, I’ll swing by Chef Tran Duc’s Asian fusion eatery Mango Rooms, one of Hoi An’s longest-running and best-known spots, and order spicy Super Fly Shrimp and gingery red snapper. I’ll also make a point of visiting the chef’s newer outlets: Mango Mango, on the opposite bank of the Thu Bon River, and traditional homestyle eatery Mai Fish.

I’m not alone in my love for this town and the central coast area that surrounds it. While making Vietnam my home over the past decade, I’ve seen a flurry of energy and investment in this geographic and cultural heartland of the country. The fact that Hoi An’s modern-day entrepreneurs can open one shop or eatery after another is evidence of the overall upward trajectory of this region. Nearby Da Nang, now Vietnam’s third-largest urban area, is the poster city for the country’s growth.

Da Nang’s pro-development government has put in place a well-planned infrastructure that includes an expanded and expanding airport terminal, currently receiving 43 direct flights weekly from Korea, Japan, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. Property moguls are touting Da Nang and its surrounds as the next Phuket or Bali; Horwath Hospitality Consulting has dubbed the region the “next great beach destination in Asia.”

“ I’m not alone in my love for this town and the central coast. In making Vietnam my home over the past decade, I’ve seen a flurry of energy and investment in this geographic and cultural heartland of the country. ”

FOUR SEASONS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 1 / 2 017

right: The city of Da Nang, on the

Son Tra Peninsula, is the country’s

third-largest. far right: Hoi An is

known for its handmade lanterns,

which adorn many streets in the

Old Town.

111110

clockwise from top left: Hoi An’s

centuries of history peek out amid its

more recent growth. Vy’s Market serves

local street food specialties. End your day with a

meditative candle-lighting ceremony at Four Seasons Resort

The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam.

A weathered dog statue guards one

side of Hoi An’s 18th-century

Japanese Covered Bridge. My Son

Sanctuary is home to the ruins of more

than 20 Hindu temples, built

between the 4th and 14th centuries.

Vietnamese fishermen cast their

nets into the Thu Bon River.

ASIA & PACIFIC

Hoi An

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam

Architect Reda Amalou envisioned each room as an exquisite modern interpretation of the traditional Vietnamese nha ruong, or “house of panels,” bringing together classic ele- ments of Vietnamese design with modern touches, in keeping with the principles of phong thuy (Vietnamese feng shui). Open-plan, colonnaded interiors support layered roofs of terracotta tiles handcrafted by local artisans. A central platform inspired by the Vietnamese phan— a multipurpose stage where the family greets visitors, eats meals and sleeps—makes room for a desk, a sunken eggshell-lacquered bath, a flat-screen TV and a soft king-size bed.

continued on page 115

113Blush Beach Club, set in front of the

Montgomery Links Golf Club and slated to open just ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Da Nang in October, will be the central coast’s first high-end beach club, akin to Bali’s Ku De Ta and Potato Head. Its General Manager James Seebacher believes Da Nang is poised to be one of Asia’s hottest destinations, and envisions international visitor numbers doubling to 4 million annually within five years.

Yet it’s not throngs of visitors or new devel-opment but a wealth of natural and cultural treasures that characterize the central coast. The beaches that stretch from Da Nang to Hoi An are among the world’s most beautiful. Some are justifiably quite popular, but I can always find a deserted spot somewhere along 900-metre (half-mile) My Khe beach. When I want company, I visit one of the beachfront grill shacks or backpacker bars on lively An Bang or Cua Dai, both easily accessible from Hoi An’s downtown by bicycle or xe om (motorbike taxi).

While these beaches are picture-postcard perfect, what gives the central coast an edge over other gorgeous Southeast Asian destinations is its position as a gateway to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Only an hour’s drive inland lies My Son Sanctuary—a collection of moss-covered ruins, all that remains of red-brick Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and 14th centuries. Visitors to the 71 remaining monuments of this UNESCO World Heritage Centre learn about the days when the central coast was the stronghold of the ancient Champa kingdom, which finally fell when the temple complex, its religious capital, was seized by invaders in the 15th century.

One hundred and twenty-nine kilometres (80 miles) north, in the Huong River valley, the 19th-century feudal capital of Hue has served as a muse for many an artist. This scenic city of distinctive landscapes and impressive archi-tecture has inspired songs, verse and stories since at least 1802, when Nguyen Phuc Anh, who later became Emperor Gia Long, chose the spot for Vietnam’s ruling Nguyen dynasty and its imperial citadel, now UNESCO listed; it remained the country’s capital until 1945. Today, those who come to see the imperial city and the 17th-century Thien Mu pagoda—the country’s tallest religious building—mingle with artists, incense makers, street food vendors and students who still wear the traditional Vietnamese dress, ao dai. The ao dai had its origins here, and many women wear it in shades of violet, a colour closely identified with the former capital.

2 017 / ISSUE 1 / FOUR SEASONS MAGAZINE

left: The three pools at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai cascade to the beaches of the East Sea. far left: The Resort’s design celebrates the beauty of traditional Vietnamese architecture.

“While its beaches are picture-postcard perfect, what gives the central coast an edge is its position as a gateway to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. ”

115114

FOR MORELearn more about

the new Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam, at

fourseasons.com/hoian

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam(continued)

Villas are arranged in horseshoes so every guest has an ocean view, and as you make your way through the high-style communal buildings between the road and the beach, you’re treated to amazing views of three central pools at different levels, framed by swaying palms with the open ocean beyond. Thich Nhat Hanh’s Zen teachings inform the Resort’s Heart of the Earth Spa, where breathing, massage and facial treatments feature crystal singing bowls. The on-site Nam Hai Cooking Academy takes you on a different culinary adventure each day of the week, from visiting local markets to preparing imperial specialties such as Hue lemongrass skewers and stuffed banh khoai pancakes.

clockwise from top left: The imperial

city of Hue was the cultivated 19th-

century citadel of Emporer Gia Long’s Nguyen dynasty. My Son Sanctuary lives

on as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai sits on a private stretch of

pristine Ha My Beach. Reminders of

the past meet Hoi An visitors at every turn. Twelve stone

sentinels guard the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh in Hue. Q Bar in Hoi An is

aglow with vibrant red lanterns.

FPO

116Back in Hoi An, more historical and cultural

riches await in the UNESCO-listed Old Town. Its 21 official sites—museums, family homes, temples, venues for traditional performances—are accessible via books of coupons. Marking one edge of the Old Town, the iconic covered Japanese Bridge, constructed by Japanese merchants at the end of the 16th century to connect their quarter with the Chinese neighbourhood on the other side of the river, is the only known bridge attached to a Buddhist pagoda. Two-storey family home Tan Ky House incorporates Chinese and Japanese architec-tural styles—walls inlaid with mother-of-pearl, wooden frames carved with dragons, crossed weapons, and elaborate fruits and leaves. Quan Cong Pagoda, established in 1653, is popular among ethnic Chinese visitors from surround-ing areas who come to pray and light incense between the red dragon–entwined pillars.

Once I’ve had my fill of official monuments, I’ll continue touring the town. Many traditional shophouses have been reinvigorated as intriguing galleries, chic boutiques, and stylish places to drink and dine. Unassuming tailoring shops create bespoke suits for a snip of prices on Savile Row, with long-running spots claiming visiting celebs among their clients. (Yaly Couture displays a photo of Mick Jagger posing with seamstresses to prove it.) If I don’t get something tailored, I usually fall in love with a contemporary dress or top in cotton or silk at Tula fashion, Oche boutique or O Collection.

For a mid-shopping pick-me-up, I’ll pop into one of the town’s ever-growing comple-ment of coffee shops or cocktail spots. On this visit, I opt for Q Bar, set within a 19th-century house, to lounge on silk cushions over a lychee martini. The setting reminds me of the many influences drawn to the central coast over the years, and the underlying local culture that assimilated and reinterpreted each one: In the rear, the décor and garden are inspired by Japanese aesthetics. The interiors upstairs feel redolent of 1920s or ’30s Shanghai. And the street-facing Vietnamese fretwork, backlit in boudoir hues of red and purple, was created by local craftsmen using local wood.

Every time I’m in Hoi An, I feel a deeper appreciation for the region’s appeal through the centuries, attracting kings, emperors, colonial administrators and prosperous merchants—and now, a new generation of globetrotters in search of the heart of Vietnam. ■

Gemma Z. Price, based in Saigon and San Francisco, writes about travel and food for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure and DestinAsian.

“The Q Bar’s setting reminds me of the many influences drawn to the central coast over the years, and the underlying local culture that assimilated and reinterpreted each one. ”

FOUR SEASONS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 1 / 2 017

far right:Most residents

navigate Hoi An’s busy streets by

bicycle or xe om (motorbike taxi).

I l lustrat ion Ole Häntzschel

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