Potted plants and building in Fukian Chinese assembly hall compound at Hoi An

Potted plants decorate a patio garden inside the Fukian Chinese assembly hall compound at Hoi An. The assembly hall building with a tiered tile roof and dragon carvings is visible at back.Hoi An was a thriving sea port for sailing ships and maritime trade by the 1700s. Ethnic Chinese populations are found in all urban and trade centers of Vietnam, but they are particularly large in Hoi An. As in Singapore, many of the ethnic Chinese merchants in the town are descended from migrants from the Fukian (also written as Fukien, Fujian, and Phuc Kien) area of southern China.Although originally built as community meeting halls for the migrant Chinese community, these compounds now are used as temples for the worship of various Fukian Chinese deities, including Thieu Hau, a goddess of the sea.