Ancient town welcomes eight-millionth visitor

The lucky visitor was 65-year-old Bui Thi Duong, a Vietnamese American who was part of a tour conducted by Saigontourist and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism along with 12 other overseas Vietnamese. This was her first visit to Hoi An. 

Artists from Hoi An's Centre of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented a unique street art performance for the local people and visitors at the welcome ceremony. 

The audience also got an opportunity to participate in Bai Choi, a traditional game in central Vietnam that is organised every night in Hoi An. 

Ho Thi Phuong Uyen, Deputy Chief of Hoi An Tourism Guide Office, said the city has held five welcome ceremonies since 2001. 

"The eight-millionth visitor was chosen randomly from the entry ticket series. Interestingly, this is the first time that Hoi An has selected a lucky visitor who is an overseas Vietnamese. The previous ones were all foreigners," she said. 

It is estimated that in 2015, the ancient town welcomed 2,151,000 visitors, with nearly half of them purchasing entrance tickets, a 39.25% increase in comparison with the previous year. 

The tickets are on sale at eight stations at the entrances to the old town. There is no entry fee for domestic tourists at three historical sites and for foreign visitors at five historical sites. During their stay in Hoi An, visitors need to buy only one ticket.