The ancient town of Hoi An lies on the Thu Bon River, 30 km south of Da Nang. It was formerly a major ¹ __________________ in Southeast Asia between the 16^th and the 17^th centuries. Hoi An was also an important centre for Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and other ² __________________ from the Far East.

Hoi An is famous for its old ³ __________________, pagodas, ancient homes and narrow streets. All the houses were made of wood and their ⁴ __________________were carved with ornamental                              ⁵ __________________.

One of the main ⁶ __________________ of Hoi An is the Japanese Bridge, which was built in the 16^th century and is still well-preserved. All visitors to Hoi An are recommended a visit to the Assembly Hall of Cantonese Chinese Congregation. This house was built in 1855 and still keeps many precious                      ⁷ __________________ that belonged to the Chinese ⁸ __________________ of Hoi An. Another attractive address to tourists is Tan Ky House, which was constructed nearly two centuries ago as a house for a Vietnamese ⁹ __________________. The house now looks almost exactly as it did in the early 19^lh century.

In recent years, Hoi An has become a popular tourist ¹⁰ __________________ in Viet Nam. In 1999, it was certified by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

6. UNIT 6. Preserving our heritage