Visiting Hoi An Ancient Town, travelers will easily see many houses with wooden eyes pinned on the door. These “door eyes” are a trait of housing architecture in Hoi An, bringing about special, unique and distinctive value of culture to this land.  It was an eye share by wooden finely diversified symmetrical front doors.

So far, there have been no satisfactory answer for the real meaning and its behind story as well as the decoration concept of “eyes” in front of the houses in Hoi An. But for the local, door eyes in Hoi An spiritual symbol. The eyes are there to welcome friendly people, but also to send the evil spirit away to keep peace for the house and the family.

EXPLORE THE CHARMING OF HOI AN TOWN

Not only pinned on the doors of houses, the symbol of eyes is also drawn in front of fishing boats in the Central region. The fishermen here notion that boats as well as fishes, fishes have eyes to swim, the boat must have eyes to guide to where to fish, avoid danger, eyes painted on the boat making the shark scared because it thought black eyes are great enemies. Eye boat brings bumper catches and help sailors avoid disease.

SEE AND DO IN HOI AN’S BEACHES

Whichever their deep meaning is, eyes on doors have become an indispensable part of spiritual life of people living in Hoi An. This is also the way people in Hoi An living in harmony with nature to create depth of a cultural heritage of human being.

Source: Vietnamdiscorvery