Mr. Selfish and I learned that Hoi An was the first site of Chinese settlement in southern Vietnam. The ethnic Chinese played a large role in Hoi An’s Old Town, particularly the construction of the many assembly halls and temples there. Today, there is approximately 1,300 ethic Chinese living in Hoi An, which has a population of around 75,800.

In Hoi An’s Old Town, you can buy a ticket that allows you to visit five out of the sixteen attractions there. These attractions range from temples, assembly halls, museums, handicraft centers, and orphanages. We primarily chose to visit the temples and assembly halls.

Mr. Selfish and I learned a new phase while visiting the assembly halls and temples – “Vietnamized.” Apparently, the ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese get along quite well in Hoi An because the ethnic Chinese have been Vietnamized, which means that they have been assimilated to the point that they even speak Vietnamese to one another in private. We first noticed the term Vietnamized at Quan Cong’s Temple where the Chinese general to whom the temple is dedicated was Vietnamized.

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