Japanese Covered Bridge, also called the Pagoda Bridge (Chua Cau) is located in Hoi An Town, Quang Nam Province. The Pagoda Bridge was built in the 16th century and is still incredibly well-preserved. This famed bridge (Cau Nhat Ban or Lai Vien Kieu) connects 155 D Tran Phu with 1D Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. The first bridge on this site was constructed in the 1590s. It was built by the Japanese community of
Hoi An in order to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream. The bridge was constructed with a roof so that it could be used as a shelter from both the rain and sun.The Japanese Covered Bridge is very solidly constructed; apparently the original builders were concerned about the threat of earthquakes.
Over the centuries the ornamentation of the bridge has remained elatively faithful to the original Japanese design. Its understatement contrasts greatly with the Vietnamese and Chinese penchant lor wild decoration. The French flattened out the roadway to make it more suitable lor their motor vehicles, but the original arched shape was restored during major renovation work carried out in 1986.Built into the northern side of the bridge is a small temple (Chua Cau). The writing over the door of the temple is the namt given to the bridge in 1719 to replace tht name meaning Japanese Covered Bridge However the new name, Lai Vien Kieu (Bridge for Passers-By from Afar), nevet quite caught on.According to legend, there once lived an enormous monster called Cu, who had its head in India, its tail in Japan and its body in Vietnam. Whenever the monster moved, terrible disasters such as floods and earthquakes befell Vietnam. This bridge was built on the monster's weakest point and killed it, but the people of Hoi An took pity on the slain monster and built this temple to pray for its soul.
The entrances of the bridge are guarded by a pair of monkeys on one side and a pair of dogs on the other. According to one story, these animals were popularly revered because many of Japan's emperors were born in years of the dog and monkey. Another tale relates that construction of the bridge started in the year of the monkey and was finished in the year of the dog.The stelae, listing all the Vietnamese and Chinese contributors to a subsequent restoration of the bridge, are written in chu nho (Chinese characters) - the nom script had not yet become popular in these parts. |
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