The historic center of Hoi An looks just how Vietnam is supposed to look: narrow lanes, wooden shop houses, a
charming covered bridge. Hoi An’s well preserved architecture –from the 16th century onward, the harbor town attracted
traders from China, India, Japan and as far as Holland and Portugal – led United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to deem it a World Heritage site, praising it as an outstanding demonstration of cultural
blending over time in an international commercial port.
When Hoi An was first recognized as a World Heritage site in 1999, the city welcomed 160,300 tourists. In 2011, 1.5
million tourists arrived. Today, tour buses crowd the edge of Hoi An’s old town. Tourists flood the historic center.
Hundreds of nearly identical storefronts – providing food and selling the same tailored clothes, shoes and lanterns –
colonize the heritage structures. To squeeze tourism revenue, a hospital has been forced to move out. Its building, built in
the 19th century, now houses a tailoring business.
While local government officials and business owners view changes in the old town positively, tourists are beginning
to notice the loss of authenticity in Hoi An. A 2008 UNESCO report sounded the alarm that “unless tourism management
can be improved, the economic success generated by tourism will not be sustainable in the long term.”
【題組】77 What country is Hoi An located in?
(A)China. (B)Vietnam. (C)Japan. (D)Thailand.
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