British visitors came to Vietnam 30 years ago and these are unforgettable memories

In 1994, Vietnam's tourism was still in its opening phase and international tourist groups in the provincial areas were still quite unfamiliar. The photos taken by Simon O'Reilly 30 years ago with a film camera, which have faded over time, have just been published by him.

In 1994, Hoi An was peaceful and had few international tourists. A series of photos by British Simon O'Reilley published in the Hong Kong newspaper SCMP recreated the ancient beauty of Hoi An in 1994, before it became a popular global destination. Simon O'Reilley recently returned to Vietnam, specifically Hoi An, and during a recent trip, he noticed how dramatically the country has changed over the past 30 years.

Photos of Hoi An 30 years ago shared by British tourist Simon O'Reilley

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY

Hoi An is now a popular tourist destination. The ancient town dates back to the 15th century and was an important trading port between Europe, India, Japan and China. In 1994, Hoi An was a coastal town, preserved by Polish architect and conservationist Kazimierz Kwiatkowski and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999.

“When we arrived in Hoi An in 1994, after riding a motorbike from Da Nang, there were only two tourists in town: my roommate Andy and me. We literally didn’t see any foreigners during our visit,” Simon O’Reilley wrote in SCMP .

A girl flying a kite (left) on a deserted street in Hoi An, Vietnam, in 1994 and a typical street scene of Hoi An in 2024 (right)

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY/SUTTERSTOCK

Simon followed the cheers and excitement down to the river. There were many people on the bank watching the boat race. When they were discovered, they were called back and the people gave them two chairs and insisted that they sit right next to the river bank.

His common language then expanded to "thank you", "yes", "no" and "hello". There were lots of smiles, pats on the back and handshakes. Then two bottles of beer were handed to the far-away guest, who became the guest of honor at the event.

The teams row the boats using pieces of wood, planks and a few oars, but they are sturdy and the boats move quite quickly. With beer, seafood and a happy crowd cheering and whistling, it really is the perfect sporting event.

A street in Hoi An in 1994 (left) and in 2024 (right)

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY

Looking south at Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An, 1994 and 2024 - now a resort

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY/HOI AN BEACH RESORT

The facade of the hotel outside Da Nang, 1994 (left). The same view in 2024, now the Furama Resort Da Nang (right)

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY/FURAMA

"We went to visit Cua Dai beach. Nowadays it's full of resorts, sun loungers, umbrellas; back then it was just a beautiful stretch of sand.

Afterwards, we walked around the town; it was mostly shuttered yellow houses, a few bread carts and deserted sandy streets. There were no crowds of tourists, no lanterns, no bars, no coffee shops, no fashion or art shops. Some said the electricity had only been there for a few months,” Simon recalls.

Boat race in Hoi An, 1994. The oars are boards and other pieces of wood, but the rowers put a lot of strength into them.

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY

He said, it must be said that the Vietnamese and local dishes that we enjoy in restaurants today simply did not exist at that time. The dishes served were not very memorable, except for the excellent banh mi.

The banh mi carts have wooden glass cases with small sandwiches and their fillings inside. One of the fillings is pork pate. The trays of bread are left out in the sun all day without refrigeration...

“This sleepy, deserted town is charming in its faded beauty, and the people of Hoi An, like everywhere else we went in the country, were incredibly friendly; they always seemed happy to see us and wanted to talk to us,” he describes.

Sad scene on the river in Hoi An in 1994

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY

Where are the old people now? They are the group of staff playing the instruments outside the hotel, the people weaving nets or the workers using hand drills to build boats.

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY

Back then, Hoi An seemed to have only one hotel in an old building. The guard sat in the garden with his friends, playing the guitar.

Outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, traffic was sparse at that time. There were bicycles, cyclos, scooters, handcarts, vintage trucks and buses, and many cars left over from the 1960s...

"Another thing I remember very clearly is that many times young Vietnamese men would come up to me, smile and ask me if I wanted to fight! Not in a threatening way, but more like a test of strength. I am 195 cm tall and probably two and a half times heavier than them.

"We often get invited to drink, which can turn into a drinking contest. The two of us are having coffee here, but all three of us are drunk"

PHOTO: SIMON O'REILLY

The other scenario was “Come have a drink with us!” which quickly turned into a drinking contest. Usually beer or some horrible spirit downed from little bowls,” Simon recalls.