A group of 20 reporters, editors and camera crew from the BBC Television network came to the town on Tuesday to make a film about "Hoi An ancient night".
The monthly festive night in Hoi An's ancient streets has become a familiar and popular event among local and foreign tourists. It is regarded as a special occasion in Hoi An ancient town.
Known by foreign tourists as Lantern Night, on the 14th of every lunar month the town turns off its street lamps and fluorescent lights, leaving the Old Quarter bathed in the warm glow of colored silk, glass and paper lanterns. On these nights all comers, wharfs and streets are full of bustling visitors enjoying the sparkling colorful light rays and animated atmosphere.
To locals, the festive night is called "ancient town night". It is a unique cultural feature of the old town. First held ten years ago, Hoi An Town has enjoyed 120 regular festive night and 20 unscheduled nights that have attracted over 500,000 tourists, about 3000 tourists a night.
Hoi An welcomed 1,560 guests on normal days and 2,700 guests on festive days last year. This success has promoted the city's prestige and the tourism industry for the central province of Quang Nam, as well as supporting the preservation of tangible and intangible relics of the town.
Recently local authorities and residents have made a great effort to upgrade landscapes and preserve cultural heritages. Hoi An's "ancient town night" has become more attractive and impressive, drawing international recognition. The event won the "Guide Awards" prize from Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam business newspaper in 2004.