If my blog up until now has led you to believe that all there is to see in Hoi An are old Chinese Assembly Halls, I’ll have done you (and the historic World Heritage village) a bit of a disservice. There’s so much to see, do and (more importantly) eat in Hoi An that even if you devoted several weeks to exploring, you wouldn’t even begin to touch all the amazing things the area has to offer.
Sure, there are currently only around ‘twenty-two’ historic properties within the village that are open for tourism, but that is a number that will continue to grow over the next few years. Thanks to the efforts of the local authorities, many places of historical significance throughout the town are either in the process of or are slated to be restored and opened to the public in the near future.
Sure, you can use your admission tickets to check out the the historic buildings that have already opened to the public, but there’s a certain romantic feeling while walking around the historic streets and alleys of Hoi An where you’re able to appreciate the hundreds, if not thousands of historic properties that the village has to offer.
In fact, I think if you’ve spent a day or two exploring the historic tourist sites, you could easily spend the rest of your time in town doing a simple walking-tour to check out quiet alleys that are far away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist crowds.
I hope to highlight some of these other areas over the next few blog posts.
Today though, I’m going to start by introducing one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hoi An (and what has coincidentally also become the symbol of the world heritage town itself), the famed Japanese Covered Bridge.
Which, if you weren’t already aware, no trip to Hoi An could be considered complete without a visit.
Unlike the Chinese Assembly Halls that I’ve already posted extensively about, you can easily find a multitude of information about the bridge online. Unfortunately, not too many of those resources agree on the facts - So there’s quite a bit of contradictory information about the bridge online.
With this blog, I’ll be doing what I usually do to help tell the story of the bridge, its design and its long history so that you can get a feel for what you’re actually going to be looking at when you visit!
The “Japanese-Covered Bridge” (日本橋)
When your entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can be sure that there is a plethora of cool stuff to see and do - More specifically though, when you’re the iconic symbol of that town and are also prominently featured on the back of one of the country’s national bills, its safe to say that you’re probably the stand out of what is already an amazing place to visit.
The so-called “Japanese Bridge” is Hoi An’s most recognizable landmark and not only serves as the symbol of the town but is also a nationally recognized landmark and is said to be the most beautiful bridge in South East Asia.
Yes, this bridge is beautiful, its also historic, but what most might not realize is that its also a pagoda, which means that it serves a practical purposes as well as religious purpose making it an important place for tourists and locals alike.
One of the things that confuses a lot of tourists about the bridge is its name - which is why I referred to it above as the “so-called” Japanese Bridge above. So, before I get into the history and the design of the bridge, I think we should clear up some of the confusion about its name.
Most tourists and travel sites are going to refer to the bridge simply as the “Japanese Bridge” or the “Japanese-Covered Bridge” in English, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
What probably confuses people most is the lack of uniformity from the various travel resources on the internet which use a mixture of formal and informal names.
This leads people to think that there are actually a bunch of tourist bridges in Hoi An.
Oh wait, there are actually a couple tourist pedestrian bridges in town.
There’s only one that you should really care about though.
Below is a list of the most common names for the bridge:
Lai Viễn Kiều (來遠橋) ‘Bridge that Receives Guests from Afar’
Cầu Nhật Bản (日本橋) ‘Japanese Bridge’
Chùa Cầu (廊橋) ‘Pagoda Bridge’
The official name of the bridge is “Lai Viễn Kiều” (來遠橋), which was presented as a gift by Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu, who carved the name in Chinese characters on a plaque which he placed on the entrance.
Later, locals started to refer to the bridge colloquially as “Chùa Cầu” (廊橋), the “Pagoda Bridge” and its more widely used name today “Cầu Nhật Bản” (日本橋), the “Japanese Bridge.”
How you personally refer to the bridge is up to you, none of the names are wrong, but what you should keep in mind is that there is only one iconic bridge in town, so don’t get confused by all the names you’ll see on the web.
History
Although the exact date of its construction is unclear, the Japanese Bridge in Hoi An has been an important part of the booming international port town for (at least) the past four centuries.
Due to the lack of documented history there is an open debate as to when the bridge officially opened to the public, which if you know anything about bridges in Asia, is a bit strange.
The thing about bridges in this part of the world is that they’re almost always engraved with a plaque that includes the name and the date of its construction. This one could have included a similar engraved plaque at some point in its history, but the bridge underwent renovation and restoration projects in 1763, 1815, 1875, 1917, 1962, 1986 and 1992 and it could have disappeared during any of those periods.
It stands to reason though that if a plaque existed before the 1800s, someone would have wrote down the exact date of construction. The first recorded mention we have of the bridge dates back to 1617, so most scholars think that the best we can do is estimate that it originated sometime in the 1590s.
The bridge was originally constructed by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of connecting the Japanese Quarter with the Chinese Quarter, which was at the time separated by a canal in the Thu Bon River (秋盆河).
Once completed, the bridge became an important tool for business as it allowed for a flow of traffic across the canal and more importantly, networking between the two sides.
Unfortunately the Japanese were only able to make use of the bridge for a couple of decades before they were forced to return home. The reason for this was because the Tokugawa Shogunate (德川幕府) back home in Japan instituted an isolationist “Sakoku” (鎖國) policy in 1633, which ultimately closed the country (and all aspects of foreign trade) for almost two centuries and required all Japanese citizens doing business outside of the country to return home.
Link: Closed Country “Sakoku” (Wiki)
Although there is also debate about whether or not this is the case, it seems that our best indication as to the exact age of the bridge are the animal statues that guard the entrances of either end of the bridge.
Despite their sacred nature in Japanese culture, the ‘monkey’ (symbolizing safety) and the ‘dog’ (protection) are also part of the Chinese Zodiac so it is thought that they represent the years of the zodiac when construction on the bridge was started and completed.
What confuses me about this is that almost all of the information you’ll find about the bridge claims that this means that construction started in 1593 and ended in 1595. These years however were actually the ‘snake’ and ‘sheep’ years and thus don’t correspond to the year of the monkey or the year of the dog.
Unless there’s something I’m missing, if we’re using the Chinese Zodiac as evidence of the age of the bridge, construction likely started in 1596 and was completed two years later in 1598.
I’d be happy to be proven wrong here though.
Link: Chinese Lunar Years: Animal Zodiac (Wisdom Portal)
In 1763, after the Japanese left town, the bridge was renovated and the pagoda was added with a shrine to “The God of Weather” (more on that later).
Then during the French Colonial Period (1887-1945), the French, who made Hoi An an important part of their base of operations flattened out the bridge converting it from a pedestrian-only bridge to one that motorcycles could also cross.
In 1990, the bridge was recognized as a National Level Historic Site.
Finally in 1986 the bridge was restored to its original ‘arched’-design with only pedestrians allowed to cross.
Unfortunately by that time enough structural damage had been done that another major restoration project would become necessary to ensure the continued existence of the bridge - which continues to be an issue to this day.
The Legend of Namazu and the Pagoda
Hoi An may have been spared most of the devastation that the rest of the country had to endure during Vietnam’s various modern conflicts, but that doesn’t mean that the historic town has been able to avoid disaster throughout its long history.
The area is prone to not only typhoons and random flooding, but also earthquakes, which together have wreaked havoc upon the town on various occasions.
Something you’ll notice when you visit in Hoi An is that there are visual reminders of each of these natural disasters marked on the walls of the historic tourist buildings throughout the town.
Which is also a reminder that it is inevitable that yet another disaster will strike.
While we can’t predict earthquakes, we know when a typhoon will strike and are much better at preventing damage from flooding.
Back in the 16th Century though, these things were a bit more difficult to explain - The Japanese residents of Hoi An though thought they had it all figured out, and legend has it that the construction of the bridge was one of the ways to prevent such disasters from happening again.
The Japanese, who likewise came from an area of the world that is prone to similar natural disasters, explained that this was all the work of Namazu (鯰), a giant catfish which lives under the earth and whose body spans from India to Japan.
The explanation was that when Namazu was swimming in the waters deep beneath the ground, it would cause the earth to shake.
According to the myth, the reason why earthquakes don’t happen more often is because another powerful god, Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto (建御雷) restrains the catfish and only when he lets his guard down is Namazu able to swim around and cause earthquakes.
Links: Namazu (Wiki) | Namazu: The Earthshaker (History of Geology)
As it was widely believed that Namazu’s giant body stretched from India to Japan, someone came up with the idea that constructing a bridge in this location would essentially assist in the effort by placing a pin in its back to keep it in place.
To be safe, in 1763, an added layer of protection was added in the form of a pagoda (within the bridge) with a shrine to the “God of Weather.”
This is where the information you’ll find about the bridge once again becomes a bit confusing.
Most articles will claim that the so-called “God of Weather” is the local “northern” god “Tran Vo Bac De”, which would lead you to believe that this is a northern Vietnamese god.
This isn’t actually the case and is probably the result of some bad translation.
“Tran Vo Bac De” is actually one of the highest ranking deities within Taoism (道教) and does hail from the “north”, but it’s the north of China and not Vietnam.
In China, he is often referred to as the “Zhenwu Emperor” (真武大帝), “Xuanwu” (玄武) or the “Black Emperor” (黑蒂) and is thought to be extremely powerful and able to control the elements, which (most importantly in the case of the bridge) includes water and the weather.
This is important because not only was Hoi An a seafaring port of trade, but also an area that was prone to natural disaster, so it was considered auspicious to have a deity enshrined in the pagoda that people could pray to for better weather and safer travel conditions.
Link: Xuanwu (Wiki)
Design
Even though its commonly referred to as the “Japanese Bridge”, the architectural design is a harmonious blend of the various styles of Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese design.
Sure, there are elements that are purely Japanese in nature but everything from the material used to the patterns and decorations are a fusion of the various cultures that have made their home in Hoi An over the past few centuries.
The arched bridge is 60 feet in length (18 meters) connecting Tran Phu Road on the eastern side with Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Road on the western side.
Otherwise known as the Chinese Quarter and the Japanese Quarter, respectively.
The base layers of the bridge are constructed with stone while the top is constructed primarily with red lacquered wood. The interior likewise features beautiful wood-carvings and motifs between each of the pillars and along the walls of the pagoda.
Understandably, after several centuries, the original colors of the decorations both inside as well as those on the roof have faded and are in need of a bit of a refresh. The plain-looking wood that you’ll find today though is still quite good looking thanks to the craftsmanship of those who helped in the construction.
Constructed as a physical and metaphorical ‘bridge’ between the two cultures, the roof was designed using a traditional Chinese style featuring three different layers with decorations on the top of each layer. Additionally, there is a special layer on both of the entrances on either side that faces the opposite direction as the three layers above, which is somewhat uncommon for this type of roof and makes its complex design quite unique.
To the average tourist, the bridge may seem somewhat plain - I’ve even seen some travel reviews from people saying that you ‘shouldn’t bother wasting a ticket’ to walk on the bridge, but if you don’t take a few minutes to check out the interior, you’ll be missing out.
Sure, some of the decorations have faded over time, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be very good looking after four hundred years either, so make sure to take some time to enjoy the bridge. You most certainly won’t be wasting anything if you do.
2020 Renovation Project
One thing that you’ll learn quickly when you visit Hoi An is that the city is prone to flooding.
As I mentioned above, in many of the historic buildings in the village, you’ll find markers on the walls that represent the various floods that have caused a considerable amount of damage over the years.
The area is likewise prone to typhoons and earthquakes.
With the constant thread of flood, earthquake or typhoon, the local government has to be constantly on the ball when it comes to the preservation and maintenance of the historic properties within Hoi An - which is part of the reason why they’ve instituted the admission ticket system.
Unfortunately, the condition of the 400 year old bridge has become a major area of concern with fears that the bridge could collapse sometime in the near future as many of the poles and beams that support it have cracked and rotted.
To address this issue, the People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province approved an almost one million dollar project to restore the bridge to ensure its continued existence.
It is unclear how long it will take to complete the restoration project, which is slated to start sometime within the first quarter of 2020, but you should be aware that if you visit sometime this year, that you may not be able to experience one of South East Asia’s most beautiful bridges as it will be covered up for restoration.
Link: Hoi An to spend $860,000 strengthening vulnerable Pagoda Bridge (VN Express)
If you ask me, it would also be a bit helpful if the local government made an effort to also clean up the stinky, stagnant water in the canal that flows under the bridge. That being said, COVID-19 is probably preventing anything from happening on schedule as well as your visit to the area, so I’m sure we can expect the project to be delayed.
Getting There
Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is a 30km drive southeast of neighbouring Da Nang City (峴港市). Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travellers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite convenient.
Whether you arrive by air through Da Nang International Airport, by train through Da Nang Station or by coach, you’ll be able to easily get yourself to Hoi An through public or private transport, all of which are quite affordable.
While staying in Vietnam, you should also download the “Grab” app for your phone so that you can easily grab a taxi during your travels without having to worry about a language barrier or getting cheated.
Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An
Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is really easy - just walk everywhere!
The ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that big, and due to so much pedestrian traffic, they’ve blocked the area off from cars, so unless you’re riding a bicycle or a scooter, the best way to get around is on foot.
When you’re ready to start exploring you’ll find that the majority of historic properties, temples, museums and restaurants are located on or between the riverside and Tran Phu Street. What you’ll want to keep in mind though is that exploring the historic properties of Old Town isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket.
The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and gives you access to five sightseeing places. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of the tickets on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining on the next day.
With so many places to visit within the Old Town though, five tickets might not be enough, so you might have to purchase a second set of tickets if you want to fully experience the town.
Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)
While some of the other attractions in town might be a little more liberal with their ticket-taking policies, you can rest assured that when you arrive at the bridge that the gatekeepers will be there to take your ticket. This not only helps with crowd control but also ensuing that the bridge gets enough funding for its preservation and allowing it to continue serving as the symbol of Hoi An.
Like many of Hoi An’s tourist destinations, the Japanese Bridge is located on Tran Phu street.
It is conveniently located at the western end of the street and connects to the laid back Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street across the canal. If you arrive at a time of the day when there is a long line of people wanting to get on the bridge, never fear, the area near both sides of the canal is well-known for its cafes and restaurants. You should be able to stop for a quick break before making your way onto the bridge.
You’ll also want to remember that a ticket is only required for those who actually want to walk on the bridge. If you haven’t purchased your admission tickets yet, never fear, one of the eleven ticket stalls within town is situated across from the bridge where you can walk in, get your tickets and a map of the popular tourist destinations in the old town.
If you just want to take photos of the exterior, you can easily walk around and take photos. Likewise, if you want to cross the canal, there is another nearby footbridge to get across without having to use one of your tickets.
But you should definitely not miss the chance to walk across the bridge if you’re in Hoi An.
Address: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam 564010, Vietnam
Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)
