The Old Town region of Hoi An is a small but tightly packed area made up of hundreds of historic houses, congregation halls, pagodas and other historic structures that offer an eye-catching vista for explorers. A network of canals divide the district into distinct neighbourhoods, where the former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its eclectic architecture; a mix of eras and styles combining wooden Chinese shophouses and temples with colourful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda. These buildings and streets reflect the indigenous and foreign influences that underpin Hoi An, defining it as a unique heritage centre and multi-cultural melting pot.