19th August, 2012.
This beautiful little bridge has become an icon of Hoi An.
A bridge was first built here by the Japanese in the 1590s, to link them to the Chinese community on the other side of this small canal which flows into the Thu Bon River.
The bridge doubles as a temple, with shrines to several deities located inside. One theory of the bridge's religious purpose is that it was built to subdue a world-spanning 'mamazu' dragon monster, whose head was located in India and its tail in Japan. The movement of the tail was believed to cause earthquakes in Japan. As Vietnam was located in the area of the mamazu's back, the bridge was intended to pin the mamazu down, thus preventing any earthquakes.
The bridge is very solidly constructed as the original builders were concerned about the threat of earthquakes. The French flattened the roadway for their vehicles, but the original arched shape was restored in 1986.
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