1. Overview

Hoi An is a beautiful city located in central Vietnam and has a unique blend of architectural styles, including Japanese, Chinese, and European. Therefore, it can be said that Hoi An’s ancient town is a harmonious blend of Western and traditional styles, creating a unique special feature of this neighborhood.

Today, Hoi An is a famous tourist destination with a well-preserved old town, beautiful beaches, and great culinary delicacies and specialties of the old town. Not only can you enjoy delicious dishes here, but you can also buy some Hoi An specialties as gifts for family and friends. Lanterns, silk panels, souvenirs, or ceramics are all gifts that tourists should buy after their long trip to Hoi An. These are not only typical gifts of Hoi An but also souvenirs imbued with the beauty of an ancient and peaceful neighborhood.

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2. The Top 12 Best Things To Buy In Hoi An As Gifts

2.1. Hoi An lanterns

Lanterns are one of the “specialties” of Hoi An’s ancient town. Coming here, you will be overwhelmed by the lanterns hanging throughout the streets and alleys in the old town. This is a traditional handicraft product that is considered a unique cultural feature by local people.

Lanterns are one of the most unique and convenient gifts you can buy in Hoi An Ancient Town. It has many shapes, such as round, teardrop, diamond, etc, and many diverse colors. Lanterns in Hoi An are often made from brocade or silk. It is waterproof and easy to clean, as well as packaged for transport. And to buy lanterns at cheap prices, visitors should go to Hoi An’s old quarters or the Hoi An night market for about 0.62 USD or more.

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Or you can refer to some of the most beautiful lantern shops in Hoi An:

  • Ngoc Thu Lantern Factory: 109 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
  • Hoi An lanterns: 276/2 Cua Dai Street, Cam Chau Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
  • Sedge factory: 32 Le Hong Phong Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

2.2. Thanh Ha Ceramic products

Pottery and clay sculptures are interesting souvenirs from Hoi An that you should not miss. Souvenir products are mainly everyday items such as cups, bowls, vases, plant pots, etc. Surely the handmade items and rustic features typical of Thanh Ha, a traditional pottery village in Hoi An, will attract tourists.

Only about 3 kilometers from the old town center. When you come to Thanh Ha pottery village, you are free to visit, make the ceramics you want, or choose to buy some items that you find impressive. Or otherwise, you can also go to the stores in the center to buy.

  • Address of Thanh Ha Pottery Village: Along Thu Bon River, Pham Phan Street, Thanh Ha Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province.

2.3. Hoi An Silk products

Hoi An silk is a typical product of Hoi An that you must definitely buy to take home. Unlike regular fabrics, Hoi An silk is soft, light, and airy, not causing you to feel hot or uncomfortable, especially in the summer. Therefore, silk and silk products are the favorite gifts of tourists when coming to Hoi An. In this place, the product is extremely soft and shiny, and it costs from 6 USD.

You can find silk at shops, markets, and night markets inside and outside Hoi An’s ancient town. If you don’t have much time, you can visit shops in the old town center to buy silk, such as: 

  • Hoi An Silk Shop is located on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, about 1km from Hoi An ancient town. 
  • Hanh Store: The store is located on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, near the Silk Sense Hoi An Hotel.

2.4. Hoi An Leather Products

Hoi An is famous as a top destination to enjoy leather products. From stylish leather shoes to exquisite leather bags, you can discover countless items with unique designs and outstanding quality in Hoi An, ensuring maximum satisfaction for every customer, such as leather shoes, handbags, wallets, leather sandals, etc.

Leather goods here are mainly handmade with meticulous and detailed processing techniques that can satisfy every customer. The price is not too expensive for a beautiful, durable product. When it comes to buying leather products in Hoi An, there are some places worth exploring:

  • A Dong store: 62 Tran Hung Dao, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province.
  • Yaly Couture: 358 Nguyen Duy Hieu, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province.
  • Hoi An Night Market: Nguyen Hoang Street, Hoi An Ancient Town.

2.5. Bamboo sculpture – unique handmade statue in Hoi An

You will be surprised to see hundreds of exquisite sculptures, historical celebrities, statues of gods according to religious beliefs, landscape statues with sizes ranging from 25 to 100 cm on display at the store. If you want to buy something new in Hoi An, then bamboo sculptures are a good choice for you. The price ranges from 8.23 USD – 24.70 USD per statue, depending on the difficulty of the product. Displaying products of Huynh Phuong Do Handicraft Bamboo and Wooden Statues Production Facility, address 26 Bach Dang, Tam Ky City.

2.6. Art picture

Hoi An is famous for its exquisite works of art, presenting captivating depictions of everyday life, natural landscapes, and charming residents. You can easily see places selling paintings on the streets in the heart of the old town. To buy Hoi An souvenirs such as paintings and photos of Hoi An’s beauty, you can explore the following locations:

  • Réhahn Gallery: 7 Nguyen Hue street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province.
  • March Harbor Gallery: 475/38 Nguyen Tri Phuong street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province.
  • Hoi An Night Market: Nguyen Hoang Street, Hoi An Ancient Town.

2.7. Traditional painted mask

Traditional painted masks in Hoi An are unique and precious gifts, expressing the cultural beauty and rich soul of Vietnam. These masks are exquisitely crafted from paper mache and decorated with vibrant colors, depicting many different characters and evoking many emotions from classic Vietnamese opera. You can marvel at the countless masterpieces and buy these exquisite masks as gifts at the following locations:

  • Hoi An Market: 19 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province.
  • Hoi An handicraft workshop: 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province.
  • Timer mask: 66 Bach Dang street, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province.

2.8. Hoi An green bean cake

Sweet green bean cake is a familiar dish for Vietnamese people. However, when you come to Hoi An, you will enjoy the extremely attractive salty green bean cake flavor of the old town. This Hoi An specialty has a salty pork filling and a crust covered with a layer of fragrant green beans.

Hoi A green bean cake is divided into two types: dry cake and wet cake; both types are printed with molds and are thin and compact in the palm of the hand. The dry cake is molded with a swastika print and dried thoroughly before packing, so the cake lasts longer than wet green bean cake. The cake tastes quite easy to eat, so visitors can buy cakes as gifts for family and friends. Reference price: 1.24 USD – 1.44 USD/box. Suggested places to buy:

  • Mrs. Bong’s green bean cake: 195 Nguyen Chi Thanh street, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province
  • Bakery in Hoi An Ancient Town: 19 Phan Chu Trinh Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
  • Mrs. Trinh’s bakery: 62 Le Loi street, Minh An ward, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province

2.9. Hoi An chili sauce

Among the specialty dishes of Hoi An, chili sauce is the soul of the cuisine here. The characteristic of Hoi An chili sauce is the spicy taste of chili combined with the aroma of sesame, arousing the taste buds of diners. Chili sauce will also be the perfect choice when you need to buy Hoi An specialties as gifts. The price of chili sauce only ranges from 1.03 USD to 2.68 USD, and you can find it in Nguyen Thai Hoc, Xuan Huong Lake, or specialty stores.

2.10. Grilled coconut cake

Toasted coconut cake is made from fresh coconut, glutinous rice flour, and sugar. It has a golden brown color, is crispy, and has a rich coconut flavor. This is a famous specialty of Quang Nam. Tourists who want to choose Hoi An’s specialty confectionery as a gift will find this the perfect choice. You can buy baked coconut cake at specialty stores in Hoi An. Price: 1.03 USD – 1.44 USD, depending on weight.

2.11. Hong Dao Wine

Hong Dao wine has long become a famous specialty in Hoi An. And many tourists buy it every time they come here to travel. Hong Dao wine is made from cooked rice and aged in jars for about a week to create a passionate aroma. After that, the processor will put the sliced peaches into wine jars and ferment them for another 100 days. Hong Dao wine will be a famous specialty in Hoi An that you should buy as gifts for family and friends during your trip. You can buy Hong Dao wine at specialty gift shops in Hoi An. Price: from 5.35 USD – 6.18 USD.

Hướng dẫn sử dụng và bảo quản rượu Hồng Đào

2.12. Mam thinh Hoi An

Mam Thinh is a typical, traditional Mam Thinh of Hoi An, with a rich flavor, made from fresh, delicious flying fish and scads of firm meat. The fish is cleaned and put into a salt jar, covered tightly, and then dried in the sun for a few days. When the jar of fish smells good, drain the water, then mix the fish with the rice (ground from cooked roasted rice), incubate, and dry in the sun for a few more days.

And when leaving Hoi An, don’t forget to bring home the Mam Thinh as a gift; this is definitely a unique, rustic-flavored specialty that many people love. You can buy Mam Thinh at Hoi An markets or specialty stores. Reference price: 6.18 USD – 8.23 USD/kg.

 

4. Conclusion

Above are the suggestions Metta Voyage shares about the top 12 best things to buy in Hoi An and easy-to-find Hoi An dishes that you can buy as gifts for family or friends. Hope you have a satisfactory gift buying experience. For any questions or information about the trips, you can contact us immediately.

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