Beyond the lanterns-how Hoi An’s creative scene is lighting up

Hoi An won’t mind if you love it for its looks — most visitors do. This is the most beautiful city in Vietnam, after all. Its Unesco-listed Old Town is a handsome tapestry of diverse influences. A Japanese-built bridge spans a canal, while the cobbled streets are lined with Chinese shophouses adorned with French balustrades. Many buildings are garlanded with bougainvillea and painted a lemon-curd yellow, which caramelises into a burnished gold as the sun begins to sink into the Thu Bon River each day. When night comes, the velvet darkness is pricked by a million orbs of light, like…