Hoi An's Japanese bridge (Photo: CNN)

CNN recalled the atmospheric Old Town which used to be a colonial-era trade port for dreamy canals, French-colonial merchant houses, Japanese bridges, Chinese shophouses and low-key restaurants.

The article also listed seven reasons for visitors to travel to Hoi An, including its whole lotta history, delicious food, worthwhile souvenirs, beautiful beaches, a biker’s paradise, first-class hotels, side trips galore.

“In the quarter's slow-paced laneways, foliage tumbles from shophouse rooftops and residents pedal by on bicycles, unfased by the heat. Come evening, rows and rows of silk lanterns glow against the inky sky”, CNN said.

CNN’s reporter also wrote that serving as a busy Asian trading port between the 16th and 19th centuries, the city attracted merchants from Japan, China, Portugal and France, and the resulting cultural milieu everything still in-tact.

The ancient city of Hoi An was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in December, 1999.