Hai Nam (Hainan) Assembly Hall has become one of the tourist attractions in the ancient city of Hoi An starting on November 23.
The opening ceremony of the new relic site was held by the Hoi An Sport and Culture Center and the management board of the Hai Nam Assembly Hall to mark the Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Day (on November 23).
The house locating at No.10 Tran Phu Street was built in 1851 in the Chinese style by the overseas Chinese of Hainan County, who resided in Hoi An.
At the center of the main chamber is a wooden altar which is lacquered in red and trimmed with gold depicting life in the three realms of heaven, earth and water. Behind is an ancestral tablet dedicated to the 108 traders who were killed because they were mistaken for pirates. Later they were vindicated and conferred the title of “Nghia Liet Chieu Ung” by King Tu Duc. The King also allocated a plot of land to build the assembly hall in order to worship them.
Hoi An ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam was an important trading port for merchants from Japan; China and other South Asian countries including Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and India, as well European nations such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK and France in the 16th century.
It was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The town is one of the most popular tourist destinations for local and international visitors to Viet Nam.
Chinese Assembly Halls in Hoi An, including Phuc Kien (Fujian), Quang Dong (Guangdong) and Trieu Chau (Chaozhou) are already open to the public and have attracted a large number of visitors every year.