Floating on dreamy Thu Bon River

On a trip to Hoi An ancient town in Quang Nam Province, I finally got to go on the river with its flower garlands releasing emotions in me I will never forget.

Hoi An at the moment is cold in the morning and cool in the afternoon with some sudden drizzly rain which can satisfy a romantic tourist like me both walking in the rain and listening to my favorite songs on my headphones.

After visiting some popular sightseeing spots like Japanese Bridge and Phuc Kien Pagoda and filling up my stomach with local specialties com ga (chicken rice) and cao lau (noodles served with pork and greens) at a street shop by Thu Bon River, a man and his son on a small junk on the water invited my friend and I to join a trip to admire the landscape for 30 minutes at just VND100,000.

It was a reasonable price so we didn’t hesitate to get on the junk and drifted along the river on a peaceful afternoon. Tourists can buy flower garlands made from paper with a burning candle inside at VN10,000 for three items to release on the river to pray for luck and health.

Sitting on the junk, tourists can admire the bustling atmosphere on both sides where people enjoy food, take photos, watch vehicles travel on the street or simply gaze at the blue sky and colorful flower garlands sparkling on the water surface.

Especially, the culture-sports center in Hoi An has just launched “Old-style boat on Thu Bon River” program which takes tourists to popular locations like Kim Bong wood making village, Thanh Ha ceramic village and Tra Nhieu eco-tourist site on a wooden boat accompanied with traditional music performances.

Thu Bon, one of the biggest rivers in Vietnam, originates from Ngoc Linh mountain range in Dak Glei District of Kon Tum Province and flows into the sea through Cua Dai in Hoi An ancient town. It also flows into Vinh Dien River and Han River in Danang City.