Mumbai, June 21 -- Located on Vietnam's central coast, where the Thu Bon river meets the South China Sea, Hoi An is an impeccably preserved historic town with walls the colour of a mellow sunset. Its architecture is a medley of influences, the result of being a strategic river port on the ancient spice route for Chinese, Japanese, Indian, French, Dutch and Portuguese seafarers from the 15th till the mid-19th centuries. In 1999, the town was given Unesco World Heritage status, ensuring that its architecture- a grand fusion of Chinese, Japanese and French styles-with its original street plans, canals and bridges, remains unchanged. Rambling mansions of Chinese merchants, ornate Buddhist pagodas and ancient tea warehouses merge seamlessly with...