Japanese Covered Bridge, Hội An

호이안 내원교(일본교)

The Japanese Bridge, called Chùa Cầu in Vietnamese, is a covered wooden footbridge in the old trading town of Hội An, Vietnam. It was built by Japanese merchants in the late 16th century and is the emblem of the town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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At a glance

Country: Vietnam
Location: Hội An, Vietnam
Built: 1593
Type: Bridge

Quick answers

Where is Japanese Covered Bridge, Hội An?

Japanese Covered Bridge, Hội An is in Hội An, Vietnam.

When was Japanese Covered Bridge, Hội An built?

Japanese Covered Bridge, Hội An was built in 1593.

A roofed wooden bridge built by Japanese merchants in the 16th century, emblem of the UNESCO-listed trading town of Hội An.

The bridge is 18 metres long and 3 metres wide. Its two ends sit on brick supports with two spans each, and the middle section has five spans on brick pillars in the water. A wooden frame holds three connected roof sections. At the north end stands a small temple, and the entrance to it is in the middle of the bridge, looking over the water. Because of the temple, its Vietnamese name means Temple Bridge.

How was it built?

In the 16th century Japanese merchants settled in the port then called Faifo, now Hội An, and set up their own neighbourhood. In 1593 one group started to build a covered bridge across a canal, and they finished it in 1595. It connected their area to the Chinese quarter on the other side. In 1653 the Japanese residents built a temple on top of the bridge.

What does the decoration mean?

The temple has beautiful decoration, including porcelain bowls on the ends of the roof tiles. At the ends of the bridge there are statues of a monkey and a dog. In Japanese folklore these two animals are connected with Namazu, the giant catfish that causes earthquakes. The temple has long had an altar to the deity Trấn Vũ, with a festival every year on the 20th day of the 7th lunar month. The bridge has been repaired many times.