Hoi An, Vietnam: Golden Hours
Cover Photo Credit: Louise Heffernan
The ancient port city of Hoi An is a photographer’s dream, with its burnt orange and goldenrod storefronts, reflective river carrying Asian-style gondolas, and thousands of hanging and floating lanterns. Outside of the historic, no-motors-allowed Old Town, Hoi An sprawls out toward the ocean, claiming white sand beaches as its backyard.
The crashing waves, the illuminated nights, and the old prestige baked into buildings curtained by pink bougainvillea reveal a city more romantic than Paris.
Louise and I felt like honeymooners. Though of course we toasted womance instead of romance. We rode bicycles side-by-side, walked arm-in-arm, and delighted in experiencing Hoi An as platonic but loving partners.
Rising with the Sun
Surrounded by such beauty and allure, Louise was determined to practice her photography. She wanted to capture the captivating, which meant chasing the golden hours at sunrise and sunset. During the week we stayed in Hoi An, we woke during the 4am hour three times to be in place for sunrise when we thought fewer people would be out. We biked to the beach, to the market, and to the pier.
The city heaves with tourists during the day, but only locals emerge at daybreak. At the beach, we saw hundreds of people working out in unison before the sun peaked over the horizon (answering our longstanding question — how do SE Asian people stay so fit when rice and fried foods are the staples??). At the market, we joined the throngs of buyers and sellers preparing for the day.
In between, it was just us, wandering the peacefully empty streets.
Love and Lanterns
Traditionally, residents of Hoi An believed silk lanterns hung outside their homes would attract luck, happiness, and love. Today, they attract tourists. Strung from ancient meeting houses and hipster coffeeshops alike, lanterns of blue, green, yellow, orange, and purple enchant the evenings in Hoi An.
Along the Thu Bon River, boaters haggle to get you to ride their traditional boats and drop your own floating lantern in the water. It’s so touristy it hurts, but it’s so charming (and reminiscent of Disney’s Tangled) it’s irresistible. Louise and I chartered a boat for $2, snuck some rum and coke on board, and made wishes as we released our lanterns into the flow of the river.
I recalled a wine cruise down the Seine as I watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the night. This wasn’t as glamorous, but it was more intimate. Louise and I cherished the moment. Indeed, the lanterns made us feel lucky, happy and lovely. We shared our gratefulness for this time and this place, but we kept our wishes for the future to ourselves.
