Japanese Bridge

The bridge

Japanese merchants began the covered bridge in 1593

In 1593 a group of merchants began building a covered bridge across a neighborhood canal. They finished in 1595, improving access to the Chinese enclave on the other side.

The temple

A temple was added in 1653 to placate an earthquake monster

In 1653 Japanese residents built a temple atop the bridge, according to legend, to placate the earthquake-inducing monster Namazu. The temple has statues of a monkey and a dog, the two gods who control Namazu in Japanese folklore.

The name

In 1719 a lord named it a bridge to welcome guests from afar

During a visit to Hoi An in 1719, a lord gave the bridge a name meaning a bridge to welcome guests from afar. It was renovated in 1817, 1865, 1915 and 1986, taking in Vietnamese and Chinese elements in place of Japanese ones.

Today

The bridge is sinking, and works are under way to prevent its collapse

The footbridge is 18 meters long and 3 meters wide, with a wooden frame under three separate roofs. The structure is sinking because of underground erosion. It was granted National Historic-Cultural Relic status in February 1990.

18 metersthe length of the footbridge