400 years (open collection - borderless print) · Hoi An / Vietnam · 2015

A major Southeast Asian seaport throughout the 16th to 18th century, Hoi An is now among Vietnam’s most significant tourist destinations, and yesterday’s merchants from China, Japan, India, and Europe are today’s tourists from the very same lands. I wonder how the feel has changed over time. Was life there more authentic when people poured in for trade, not tourism? How did and do the locals feel about all the attention? How have the cultural dynamics changed throughout the exchange? Was that little, yellow architecture more intriguing when it was novel, or is it now that nostalgic sentiments flake off the warm facades? What did this scene look like when the lanterns were lit by candlelight and the restaurants and storefronts were whatever they might have been? And what will Hoi An look and feel like in another 400 years?
 
 
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tags: Hoi An, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, cityscape, architecture, dusk, night, culture, heritage, traditional, cozy, canal, water, reflection, boat, ship, lantern, serene, peaceful, scenic, scenery, tourism, picturesque, travel, bedroom, horizontal