Vietnam Now Ranks Second in Southeast Asia for UNESCO World Heritage Sites

With nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vietnam trails only Indonesia in Southeast Asia — and Hoi An's monthly Full Moon Lantern Festival remains one of the most accessible ways to experience that heritage firsthand.

Vietnam now counts nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, putting it second in Southeast Asia behind only Indonesia — a list that includes Hoi An's Ancient Town, Ha Long Bay, Hue's Complex of Monuments, and Hanoi's Thang Long Imperial Citadel among others.

Hoi An in particular remains one of the most visitor-friendly of these: the town's Full Moon Lantern Festival runs monthly (on the 14th day of the lunar calendar), when much of the old town switches off electric lighting in favor of traditional silk lanterns — a recurring, easy-to-plan-around event rather than a one-off.

The town's entrance ticket runs around 120,000 VND (roughly $5) as of 2026, and late-year visits (October–December) offer a genuine alternative to peak season: post-monsoon green landscapes, pleasant temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s°C, and noticeably lighter international crowds.