Yellow blossoms set 400-year-old town aglow

Phan Chu Trinh Street is canopied by yellow sua flowers. Sua was a wild tree in Quang Nam Province, home to ancient town Hoi An, before locals started growing it for firewood in rural areas.

A man rides a bicycle under the shades of sua flowers. 

Hoi An has pioneered pedestrian-friendly streets in the country since 2004. Motorbikes and cars are banned from the town center from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Locally, most hotels, restaurants and homestay facilities offer bike rental services.

Two vendors ride on Phan Chu Trinh Street.

The novel coronavirus pandemic left the town largely deserted. 

Some sua trees are said to be nearly 300 years old. Tam Ky Town, around 50 kilometers from Hoi An, is a hub for their cultivation. 

Hoi An has managed to preserve its tranquility and slow pace of life with its signature yellow walls and centuries-old houses. 

Due to the impacts of Covid-19, restaurants and entertainment services across Hoi An were temporarily suspended until further notice.

The country has recorded 153 infections, including 17 people who had been treated and discharged. The majority of active cases are returnees from Europe and the U.S. and people in close contact with them.

A group of foreign tourists visited Hoi An on March 14. 

The town, where a British tourist was found infected with Covid-19, stopped welcoming arrivals to Bay Mau Coconut Forest, two miles from the town center, as well as Thanh Ha Pottery Village and Tra Que Village from last week until the end of this month.