HỘI AN — Hội An has included the 1875-built Hainan Chinese Temple on Trần Phú street as a new destination among 22 sites in the old quarter, expanding tourism sites in the city.

The temple, one of five Chinese temples in Hội An from previous centuries, was built to worship the souls of 108 merchants on three vessels from Hainan Island who were killed by Nguyễn Dynasty officials under Emperor Tự Đức (1847-1883).

The Hainan Chinese merchants were all killed on July 16, 1851, according to a document in the temple, having been mistaken for pirates.

The three ships were anchored off an islet of now Quảng Ngãi Province on their way back to Hainan Island.

Emperor Tự Đức punished the officials and soldiers who massacred the merchants and sent merchandise back to the families of the dead from Hainan Island.

The temple, a short walk from Hội An’s market, has undergone many restorations to protect its timber rafters and Hainan Chinese style sculptures.

The temple along with Guangdong Hall, (1885) Fujian Chinese Club (1697), Chinese Hall (1741) and Jiao Zhou (1845) were spiritual worship places for the Chinese community in Hội An.

The city has hosted 2.62 million tourists, of which 1.3 were foreigners, in the first three quarters this year, a 17.9 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. — VNS