The ancient town of Hoi An, 32 km south of Danang lies on the bank of the Thu Bon River. Known to early Chinese, Japanese and Western traders, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Labeled by UNESCO as one of the Cultural Heritage in the World in 1999, Hoi An has distinctive ancient Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture with low tiled-roof houses along narrow streets. The original structure of some of these is still virtually in tact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs. Tourists can visit old pagodas, the roof-covered wooden bridge as well as the ruins of Sa Huynh and Cham cultures. They can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of the romantic Thu Bon River, Cua Dai Beach and Cham Island