Published:  11:19 Tuesday - November 22, 2016

Hoi An, a very popular tourist destination in central Vietnam, will allow visitors to explore most of its attractions for free on December 4 to celebrate its 17th year as a UNESCO heritage site.

The ancient port town was named a UNESCO heritage site 17 years ago.

Hoi An, a very popular tourist destination in central Vietnam, will allow visitors to explore most of its attractions for free on December 4 to celebrate its 17th year as a UNESCO heritage site.

The ancient town charges foreigners VND120,000, or nearly $6, and locals VND80,000 for an entrance ticket that includes admission to a large number of attractions, notably the iconic Japanese Bridge and the three-century-old Fukian Assembly Hall. Some privately-owned sites sell their own tickets and will not be free.

There will also be several photos, painting and pottery exhibitions around town during the special day, as well as a marathon.

Once a popular trade port in the region, Hoi An is now one of the most peaceful towns in the country, drawing tourists to its picturesque wooden houses, pagodas, street-side eateries and hundreds of tailor shops.

A travel forum run by U.S. magazine USA Today described Hoi An as one of the 10 most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, a place where one can find “tranquillity and timelessness.”

“Best Day on Earth,” a book from U.K. travel publisher Rough Guides, last year listed Hoi An’s full-moon festival among the world’s most extraordinary travel experiences for the hundreds of lanterns that glow along alleys and river banks around town and paper lanterns that float down the Thu Bon River.