JAPANESE COVERED BRIDGE
Built in 1593 to link the Japanese and Chinese quarters, this bridge has been completely renovated in a very kitsch fashion.
Built in 1593 to link the Japanese and Chinese quarters. In 1986, the bridge was restored to its original hump-back shape, which had been levelled by the French to allow vehicles to pass. According to legend, there was once a giant named Cu whose head was in India, his tail in Japan and his body in Vietnam. His every move triggered a natural disaster. To protect the city, the population built the bridge, preventing the giant from moving at will. In the middle of the bridge, the small Câu pagoda(chua Câu) dates back to the 17th century. It is said to house the soul of the restless giant, and is dedicated to Tran Vu, the guardian genius of the North. The frontispiece indicates that, in the 18th century, the bridge was called Lai Viên Kiêu ["Bridge of friends from afar"], a name no longer in use.
On either side of the entrances, the two monkeys and two dogs indicate that construction began in the year of the Monkey and ended in the year of the Dog. Dating from 1593, a Japanese stele dedicated to the protection of the bridge is enshrined in a tree at 98, rue Phan Chu Trinh.
Today, the bridge is threatened by the violent typhoons and floods that batter the region every year. The thousands of visitors who cross the bridge every day are putting its foundations to a severe test. The bridge has undergone extensive restoration and reopened in 2024. The renovation work has not always been well received, and many consider that it has caused the bridge to lose its legendary old-world charm.
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