Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation, Hoi An

The Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation (Hoi Quan Quang Dong) is the Cantonese community’s temple and meeting hall at 176 Tran Phu Street, less than 100 metres east of the Japanese Covered Bridge. It is on the Old Town ticket and worth a slot for its carved stone and wood.

I. History of Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation

The Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation was erected around 1885 by overseas Chinese from Guangdong: 18 merchants, according to the Hoi An heritage dossier. Its management board says the late 17th century, but 1885 is the documented date. 

As in the period of 15th – 19th century, Hoi An was one of the major trading ports in Vietnam, Hoi An became one of the first centers for Chinese people to do business and settle down. Since then, a variety of assembly halls were established for gathering and trading purposes. Of the five Chinese assembly halls in Hoi An today, the Cantonese one is the youngest by documented dates.

Initially, the Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation was adopted to worship Mazu goddess (Thien Hau Thanh Mau), protector of sea traders. Confucius was added to the central altar in 1915, and a few years later Guan Yu replaced both. He is still the main deity.

Apart from being dedicated to spiritual beliefs, this assembly hall enables the Cantonese community to organize periodic meetings so as to support each other in business activities and daily stuff.

Today, this place is also known as Chua Quang Trieu or Guangzhao Assembly Hall (Hoi Quan Quang Trieu in Vietnamese), a name that joins Guangzhou and Zhaoqing, its founders’ home cities. Hoi An’s Cantonese community still owns and runs it.

II. Architecture & Structure of Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation

This hall stands out, says the heritage dossier, for its height: it rises above the houses around it.

The Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation was built from mostly stone and wood on a plot of about 1,687 square metres, laid out in the shape of the character 國 (quoc, meaning “nation”). It is a closed campus with a three-door gate and spacious gardens peppered with bonsai trees. A communal temple lies in the middle, along with a main hall and a backyard, which shares a common feature with other assembly halls in Hoi An.

The three most conspicuous areas of the Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation are the public campus, the main hall and the backyard:

1. The Public Campus

As soon as reaching this assembly hall, visitors can notice a three-door gate overlooking Tran Phu Street. The gate is made of stone and intricately carved with mascots like dragons, phoenixes, unicorns,… It is younger than it looks: the heritage dossier, written in 1992, records it being built to replace an iron fence. Inside, carved stone and timber show court scenes.

Stepping inside, travellers can see a fountain right in the heart of the courtyard. It is decorated with a dragon statue symbolizing the legend “Carp jumps over the dragon gate”, made during the same restoration work. On the Eastern and Western side lie two rows of buildings connecting the main hall with the prior hall. Here, look for the paintings on the surrounding walls.

2. The Main Hall

An extremely large main hall is divided into 3 altars. The middle one is used to worship Guan Yu. The two remaining altars worship the god of Wealth (Tai Bach Tinh Quan) and the founding ancestors of the Cantonese community, according to the 1992 heritage dossier; a 2015 study puts Thien Hau, its first patron, on the left-hand altar. 

3. The Backyard

Situated behind the main hall, the backyard is accessible to visitors by the side path of the main hall. Here, you can easily see a very large picture of Guan Yu on the wall.

III. What to See & Do in the Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation?

1. Contemplate Precious Antiques

Many valuable historical artifacts kept in the state of preservation are listed in the 1992 heritage dossier, including:

• A pair of glazed terracotta stools from China
• 4 large horizontal lacquered boards
• A copper censer holding an old piece of agarwood
• A seated bronze statue of Guan Yu, about 40 cm tall
• A carved wooden altar table showing a royal court

These artifacts will offer visitors an insight into the history of a group of people in the ancient Hoi An. It’s also an occasion for tourists to dig deep into cultural interference between Vietnam and China.

2. Join The Festivities

If you would like to see the hall in use, partaking in its annual festivals is a great choice. Here, the festivals are frequently celebrated to commemorate legendary characters, as well as boosting community bonding and preserving traditional culture.

In particular, the biggest festival takes place on the 16th day of the first lunar month. This festival honours the community’s founding ancestors, and Cantonese families from across southern Vietnam come back for it, according to the heritage dossier.

On the 24th day of the 6th lunar month, Hoi An holds the Guan Yu Birthday Festival to pay homage to this talented general, at the Quan Cong Temple about 550 m east along Tran Phu. The dossier does not list it among this hall’s ceremonies.

IV. How to Get to the Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation?

For the ultimate convenience, you can book a flight to Da Nang and come to Hoi An after that. You can also select to go by train or coach to reach Da Nang as well.

As soon as you get to Da Nang, there are two common ways to get to Hoi An Ancient Town:

• Taxi: It is very easy to catch a taxi at Da Nang airport, about 30 km by road from the hall. The cost for a taxi ride is around 300,000 – 400,000 VND, and a Grab car roughly 250,000 – 350,000 VND (2026 travel guides).

• Bus: suitable for backpackers. You can catch bus route 02 (Da Nang central bus station – Hoi An bus station – Cua Dai) for 8,000 – 30,000 VND, depending on distance.

To travel around Hoi An, you can rent a motorbike or a bike. You can also catch a cycle rickshaw – a noteworthy feature of Hoi An to penetrate into the vibrant life of this city. 

From 9:00 to 21:30 in summer (21:00 in winter) the old town is closed to motor vehicles, so walk: cross the Japanese Covered Bridge heading east, and the hall is on your left.

V. Extra Tips

• Pair it with the Fujian hall, about 500 m east on Tran Phu; each takes one site choice on your ticket.
• Ticket sales can pause at Lunar New Year: in 2026 they stopped from 16 to 19 February.
• In the rainy season, check flood news: on 30 October 2025 Quan Thang House, further along Tran Phu, flooded again.

VI. Is the Cantonese Assembly Hall on the Hoi An Old Town Ticket?

Yes: the heritage centre lists it with the Fujian, Chaozhou and Hainan halls. Its 2026 notice prices tickets by what they cover and lists no separate price for foreigners:

• 80,000 VND: the Japanese Covered Bridge or the Quan Cong Temple, plus two sites of your choice.
• 120,000 VND: the Japanese Covered Bridge or the Quan Cong Temple, the museums, and three sites of your choice.

Tickets last up to 3 days; keep the stub to get back into the old town. Children under 16, school pupils and Vietnamese citizens aged 60 or over go free (Resolution 02/2026/NQ-HĐND).

VII. Cantonese, Fujian or Chaozhou: Which Assembly Hall to Visit?

With room for one hall, pick Fujian, the largest of the five; add the Cantonese hall for its carving, or because you are already at the bridge.

• Fujian (46 Tran Phu): by tradition a thatched pagoda in 1697; Thien Hau is on the central altar.
• Chaozhou (about 700 m east): the only hall whose main deity is General Ma Yuan (Ma Vien).

The Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation is the sort of place that holds great appeal for culture vultures. Not only can you acquire a good knowledge of history but you can also reminisce about the golden age of Hoi An Town.

Nearby on foot: the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Quan Cong Temple and Tan Ky Old House. See also our Hoi An Ancient Town guide, Hoi An travel guide and Hoi An tours.

Sources: Hoi An heritage centre (relic dossier of the hall; ticket notice, 2026); Tap chi Dan toc hoc (Ethnology journal), 2015, on beliefs in Hoi An’s Chinese assembly halls.