Hoi An Night Market & Lantern Boat Ride

2018-12-16 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

After having a decent dinner and finally regaining my senses, I slowly walked the night streets of Hoi An again, and my eyes widened. It isn't as bright as a big city's night view, but the light cast by the calm, detailed lanterns is incomparable to any other city. Hoi An's famous lanterns stay hidden away in every shop and house during the day like they're playing hide-and-seek, but once the sun goes down, they shine brightly together as if saying, "Now it's my turn to do some work." A place doesn't necessarily have to be beautiful to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, but I imagine the evaluators might have secretly given some bonus points if they came here and saw these night streets.

Large illuminated decoration with traditional patterns and the word Hoi An, set up by the river at night. — Hoi An is even more beautiful at night than during the day.

Traditional style bridge glowing with yellow light over the river on a dark night.

Three traditional lanterns glowing red, hanging from a pillar by the dark river.

Illuminated buildings across the river and colorful lights reflected on the ripples.

Night market stall glowing with many colorful round lanterns hanging under a tent. — Hoi An lanterns have a very unique shape that looks both Japanese and Chinese. Is it because historically, merchants from those two countries frequently visited this port?

People looking around in front of a shop filled with brightly colored lanterns. — I didn't buy one because I had no room in my luggage, but looking back now, it was definitely something I should have bought.

Crowds of people walking down a street with rows of various colored lanterns hanging overhead.

Red and yellow traditional lanterns hanging against the dark night sky.

There is one thing tourists absolutely must do in Hoi An after the sun sets. It's taking a small wooden boat out to the middle of the river to make a wish and come back—a little experience-building activity that's almost too short to call a tour. Taking place over a very brief time, this tour requires absolutely no advance reservation. That's because there are plenty of boatmen touting for customers as soon as you cross the bridge or head near the river. The price is 200,000 VND to rent a single boat, which is about 10,000 KRW. Since there is no set price, the more people you gather and bargain with, the cheaper it gets. Of course, like all Southeast Asian countries and many other tourist destinations, prices will go up every year, so just keep in mind that these are 2018 prices.

As it neared 10 PM, there were fewer people riding the boats, and it was time for the boatmen to get anxious. I easily bypassed the few remaining challengers and, after some haggling, rented a boat at a good price (though I'm a world-class pushover, so this was probably still expensive). The boat of the boatman who guided us looked incredibly unstable. Still, I had already paid upfront, and figuring they'd surely save me if I fell in, I gritted my teeth, got on the wooden boat, and headed out onto the river. It was a fascinating day, riding a boat twice in one day.

As if laughing at our worries about falling in, the boatwoman moved the boat very, very slowly, almost at a crawl. Once my tension melted away, the village caught my eye again. The river seen from the bridge is beautiful, and so is the village seen from the river. While I was mesmerized by the sparkling village, she lit a wish lantern and handed it to us, telling us it was time to pray and float it. Reciting all the complicated wishes in my head—family health, wealth, and so on—took quite a long time. Since I have a religion, it's just a sort of performance for me anyway, but it always takes me a long time whenever I pray. On the short way back, I thought that if they operated these boats during the day instead of just at night, the nickname "Venice of Vietnam" would resonate even more. I've never been to Venice, but after the sun goes down, maybe Venice should be called the "Hoi An of Italy." That's how beautiful Hoi An at night is, more so than anywhere else.

Wooden boats carrying people in life jackets floating on the river and shining brightly.

Several wooden boats and lit lanterns floating by the river at night.

Riverside view with the lights of a distant bridge and buildings reflecting on the dark water surface.

Night view showing illuminated buildings across the river and people walking on the street.

Two paper lotus-shaped wishing lanterns floating on the dark water. — I thought I could place it on the water right away, but it took quite some time before the lantern was finally moved onto the water. It looked flimsy, but since it held my wishes, I ended up handling it with extreme care.

Two lit paper wishing lanterns floating on the water.

Large heart-shaped sculpture and lotus-shaped lights decorating its surroundings.