Photographs from 30 years ago capture a disappearing Hoi An, reunite residents with old memories

This photograph captures Huynh Thi Mai selling steamed fish in Hoi An in 1997.

Do Ngoc, Mai’s granddaughter, said she was surprised and moved to recognize her grandmother in the photo.

She added that Mai was also delighted to see the old image again, describing it as a valuable record of the past.

Mai lived by the riverside at the time. She would purchase mackerel, tuna, shrimp and squid directly from fishing boats, preserve them with salt to maintain freshness, and then arrange them in baskets for steaming before selling them at mountain markets.