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An Handicraft Workshop, 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc (Mon–Sat 10.15am & 3.15pm; included in ticket scheme, see "Visiting Hoi An’s sights"). Once a month vehicles are banned from the town centre, coloured silk lanterns replace electric lights and shopkeepers don traditional costume to celebrate the Full-Moon Festival (fourteenth day of the lunar calendar). It’s a tourist event, but a great occasion nonetheless: there are traditional music performances, with food stalls selling local specialities by the Japanese Bridge and on the waterfront. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a much bigger affair celebrated nationwide on the fourteenth day of the eighth lunar month, people also float lanterns on the river. In recent years – usually in spring but dates vary – Quang Nam province has also staged a week-long cultural heritage festival in Hoi An and My Son, including Cham dances and folk songs.

Tourism has also led to a revival in local crafts, though there are plenty of second-rate souvenirs on sale as well. Dedicated browsers can occupy several hours in the shops and galleries along Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Le Loi, while just over the Japanese bridge a cluster of old houses double as showrooms. Scattered here and there are workshops where you can see a range of local crafts, from embroidery, wood-carving and pottery to silk being made by traditional methods; visits are free, though afterwards you’ll be directed to the souvenir shop-cum-showroom, not that there’s any obligation to buy. The most interesting are the Hoi An Handicraft Workshop at 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc, where they also give folk concerts (see "Arts, handicrafts and shopping"), and the House of Traditional Handicrafts, 41 Le Loi. The Kim Bong traditional carpentry studio is also worth a look at 108 Nguyen Thai Hoc, and look out, too, for a tiny stall at 49 Le Loi where the same family has been making silk lanterns for generations.

Hoi An is now well known for its silk and tailoring, with prices generally cheaper than in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll find shops all over town but the original outlet was the market, where even now rows of tailors sit at sewing machines next to rainbow-coloured stacks, and for a few dollars will make up beautiful garments in a matter of hours. It’s worth shopping around – ask to see some finished articles before placing an order. If you have time, it’s a good idea to have one item made first to check the quality and fit. A few places with a reputation for reliability include Bi Bi Silk, 13 Phan Chu Trinh, with a good range of linen, wool and silk, and the more upmarket Yaly at 47 Nguyen Thai Hoc (yalyshop@dng.vnn.vn). The popular Phuong Huy makes a wide array of items such as suits and handbags and has three outlets, at 9a Nhi Trung and 25 and 26 Tran Phu. To complete the outfit you can have shoes made to match (where you can create your own designs such as suede running shoes with your own initials on them). Most shops can do this for you, or there are dozens of outlets towards the bridge on Hoang Dieu.

The central provinces | Hoi An and around |

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Banks and exchange You can exchange cash and traveller’s cheques and get over-the-counter cash advances on credit cards at Vietcombank, 25 Hai Ba Trung, and Agribank, 2 Phan Dinh Phung and 92 Tran Phu (both locations Mon–Sat 7am–5pm). There are also several ATMs around town.

Books Randy’s Book Exchange on Cam Nam Island may well be the best second-hand bookstore in Vietnam; if you can’t face the walk, most guesthouses offer book exchange.

Diving Tours Cham Island Diving Centre, 98 Bach Dang (0510/391 0782, laochamsailing@hotmail.com), and Hoi An’s branch of the popular Rainbow Divers, 99 Le Loi (0510/391 1123, www.divevietnam.com), are the best options. Both have similar prices starting at $50 for a one-day scuba dive or $20 for snorkelling. Cham Island Diving Centre also offers accommodation on the island.

Ferries From the market end of Bach Dang, small ferry boats depart for villages along the Thu Bon River every thirty minutes from 5.30am to 7.30pm.

Hospital 4 Tran Hung Dao 0510/386