Your trip to Hoi An won’t be complete without seeing the Japanese Covered Bridge. Standing for hundreds of years, the bridge is not only a famous tourist spot but also an important part of the local culture. It sits like a simple painting beside the peaceful Hoai River. As you walk around Hoi An, you’ll find many beautiful sites, but the Japanese Covered Bridge truly captures the spirit of the town.

The bridge is a beautiful symbol of Hoi An’s golden era, when there was strong cultural and trade exchange between Vietnam and Japan during the Nguyen Dynasty. Despite four centuries of time and historical changes, the bridge remains serene, drawing visitors with its architecture and romantic scenery.

Today, We will help you discover the special aspects of the Japanese Covered Bridge so that when you visit, you can appreciate the value of this ancient structure and its significance to many generations of Hoi An’s people.

The Japanese Covered Bridge was built 400 years ago by the Japanese. Although it is just an 18-meter-long wooden bridge arching over a creek that flows into the Hoai River, its unique architecture, resembling a temple, makes it a distinctive structure and the only cultural heritage from Japan in Vietnam.

The bridge is also known as Lai Kiều Viễn or the Japanese Bridge, but it is commonly called the Japanese Covered Bridge, meaning a bridge designed like a temple. In the past, it not only regulated traffic but also served as a place for the locals to practice their beliefs and resolve trade disputes in the Hoi An port. Today, the Japanese Covered Bridge is a symbol of the old town and helps make Hoi An a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The bridge was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Monument in 1990, and its image appears on the current 20,000 VND polymer banknote in Vietnam.

In Japanese mythology, there is a sea monster named Mamazu, with its head in Japan, its tail in India, and its back stretching across Hoi An. This monster is believed to cause earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods in the regions it inhabits. To control Mamazu, the Japanese built the bridge to resemble a sword piercing the monster’s back, as a way to keep it subdued and prevent it from causing disasters.

Geologically, the ancient town of Hoi An was formed by sediment from the Thu Bon River, a major river in Central Vietnam that often floods. This flooding made life and trade difficult for the people of Hoi An and the Japanese merchants in the past. The construction of the Japanese Covered Bridge served as a significant spiritual support, helping them overcome the harsh natural conditions and build a stable life in this new land.