Japanese Bridge

During the 16th century, Japanese merchants began to establish residence in the port city of Faifo (now Hoi An) and established their own enclave. In 1593, one group of merchants began building a covered bridge to cross a neighborhood canal. They finished construction in 1595 and improved access between the Chinese enclave on the other side. In 1653, Japanese residents built a temple atop the bridge as a way to, according to legend, placate the earthquake-inducing monster Namazu. With the 17th century withdrawals of Japanese merchants and Dutch East Indies company from Hoi An, Chùa Cầu and its surrounding neighborhood remained relatively preserved. During a 1719 visit to Hoi An, lord Nguyễn…

The footbridge is 18 meters long and 3 meters wide. A small temple sits on the north end of the bridge, with the entrance in middle of the bridge overlooking the water. The two bridgeheads are built with bricks with two spans each, while the middle portion of the bridge has five spans placed on brick pillars going into the water. The building frame is made of wood and utilizes three separate, but integrated roof systems for the three portions of the bridge. The bridge's temple has ornate decor, including porcelain bowls used to cap the ends of the roof tiles and statues of a monkey and a dog (the monkey god and the dog god are the two gods who control Namazu in Japanese folklore). Chữ Hán…