Hoi An among Asia's most picturesque towns

Hoi An ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam has been listed among CNN's 13 of Asia's most picturesque towns.

Foreign tourists in Hoi An

Added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999, the former French colonial trade port has been one of the most commercially vital towns in Vietnam since the 16th century.

And thanks to centuries as an important trade hub, the narrow streets of Hoi An feature rows and rows of charming mustard-hued merchant houses - though many have since been transformed into low-key restaurants, bars, design boutiques and tailors' shops.

Adding to the atmosphere, lush foliage spills from the rooftops and, come evening, romantic silk lanterns light up the town.

While you're there, don't miss the array of delicious food experiences, from banh mi at ever-popular Banh Mi Phuong or local staples like herb-covered rice rolls, white rose dumplings and fresh seafood at Miss Ly's Cafe.

Hoi An was also honored by Google Doodles for the first time on Google Vietnamese homepage (google.com.vn) as a World Cultural Heritage and the most charming city in the world in 2019.

This is the first time in the history of Google Doodle, the search engine has honored a specific landmark of Vietnam.

The ancient city topped the list of 15 best cities in the world in a recent readers’ vote of the US travel magazine Travel & Leisure.