This is one of a large number of houses built during the heydays of Macao, when Hoi-An was called Fifo and the predominant port on the Vietnam coast. Merchants from Protugal, Spain, England, and China waited here for the winds to change direction and ultimately decided to stay here and ply their trade. The European style houses give Hoi-An a very different character from the rest of Vietnam. It is a place for buying silk and arts and crafts, and a favorite for tourists. Many people I talked to, who wanted to stay here just a day or two ended up staying for a week.